


Daemon Rising...with a SMASH!

by TheIkranRider



Series: The ReBoot Multiuniverse [17]
Category: Metroid Series, ReBoot (TV), Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Betrayal, Brainwashing, Canon Crossover, Character Bashing, Crossover, F/F, F/M, Multiple Crossovers, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Originally Posted on deviantART, Other, Rare Characters, Rare Fandoms, Revenge, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:48:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 38,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25825417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheIkranRider/pseuds/TheIkranRider
Summary: Daemon has finally come to Mainframe! The Guardians have begun the invasion to find the rogue Guardian, Bob, and use him to uphold "The Word." Akari summons the Smashers and they wage war against the supervirus and her cronies. Will they withstand the infection and achieve victory?
Relationships: AndrAIa/Enzo Matrix, Bob/Dot Matrix (ReBoot), Bob/Hexadecimal (ReBoot), Samus Aran/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The ReBoot Multiuniverse [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1873741





	1. WARNING! Incoming...Guardians?

**A/N: I was going to save this project for much later, by the time I'm done with the ReBoot/Pokémon crossovers, but I feel it might be foolish to wait that long. So here's the first chapter of a project I've worked on several years ago. This is actually a ReBoot crossover with Super Smash Bros. Melee, and it takes place during the Daemon saga. Enjoy.**  
 **  
**Deep in the vast space of the Web, a humongous, yellow spaceship was found wandering aimlessly with no particular destination. It was patrolling the universe for any signs of danger that would be a threat to the fellow citizens of the Net. The pilot was a female in a red, orange cyber suit with a green visor. She was the bounty hunter, Samus Aran.  
  
So far it'd been very quiet ever since Megabyte was thrown into a portal while being mauled by a Web Creature. They usually hunt for sustenance and travel in enormous packs, protecting their "digital domain," as Ray would call it.  
  
Content, she decided to steer to Mainframe where her best friend, Bob, Guardian 452, was located in. She couldn't wait to see him and his friends again. She reminisced when she first saved his life after he was trapped inside a capsule which was launched by his rival. She was circling the planet as she saw him and immediately used her tractor beam to take him into the haul. The most stunning thing was that he didn't have his key tool, Glitch. So it was up to her to take care of him until he was well enough to meet Enzo, now known as Matrix, and the others. She eventually found some Deformed Sprites who were rebels to the Web Creatures and who were also on exile like him. Although they never spoke any English, she could understand them as they spoke in dial tones. So she recruited them to help her look after Bob, find his comrades, and save the Net.  
  
Just then an alarm brought her out of her reverie. She pressed a button on her dashboard and spoke to the Intercom. "Samus, we've got trouble!" It was a distress call coming from Mainframe and Dot, the commander of the Principal Office, was calling.  
  
"Oh, hey, Dot. I was just on my way to visit you...What do you mean by trouble?" Samus' face clouded as she heard the news.  
  
"I've sent Matrix and AndrAIa to patrol the System. Unfortunately, we're under attack!"  
  
"By who?!" Samus was shocked at the news. She thought it would be Megabyte again, but, unfortunately, it was nothing she'd expected.  
  
"It's the Guardians! They're heading straight for us! Hurry-!"  
  
Suddenly there was nothing but static, and since her equipment never fails, she was horrified.  
  
"Why are they attacking Mainframe? Who's in charge of all this!"  
  
She shook her head to clear it. "No matter. I won't attack them. I'll just watch them and find out who's making them do what they're doing. Something's not right. I have to go."  
  
Hopeless, she sighed and set a course to Mainframe as fast as the engines would carry her.  
  
 **A/N: Sorry if this chapter's short, but I'm stirring the pot. The good stuff will happen later.**


	2. Assault on Mainframe

As Samus was heading to Mainframe she saw a few small armies of Web Creatures heading toward her ship. An alarm went off indicating that and she took the helm as she was shooting them to space dust. At first there were the hammer-head shark classes, but then they grew tougher. Others were more sophisticated like the rebellious Web Riders. There was actually a large group of the hammer-heads forming into a large entity. Fortunately, due to Samus's massive plasma cannon, they degenerated. Soon they retreated and it was smooth sailing, until she saw a horrible sight.  
  
The System was being demolished by the Guardians. Raids were coming from large jets soaring in groups, and on the other side were Binomes who were protecting the Principal Office. As she surveyed the damage she saw that the Control Tower was destroyed in the Kits Sector. It was the main reason why she lost Dot's call. But the strangest thing was there was a doorway in the sky. This was not good because it could leave Mainframe on-line and vulnerable to enemy attack, or worse Daemon's infection. She then realized that the Guardians were using doors instead of portals.  
  
"Whatever happened to their key tools...? Unless, could they have abandoned them?" She began to worry about the Guardians' actions; she believed that the super virus was behind all this. All the rumors she heard were true, especially from a good friend of hers as she called on the Intercom.  
  
"Akari, is that you?"  
  
"Yeah, it's me!"  
  
Akari had short, brown hair and she wore a pink shirt with the SSB logo on it. She was from somewhere in the Net, training her Pokémon as she took them to very exotic places. She always went by her motto as she always wanted to take them "where no Pokémon, or no trainer has gone before."  
  
One day she was sending all her Pokémon from Professor Oak's lab to the wide-open frontier where she lived with Mewtwo. While she was doing it, she suddenly got sucked into the computer itself and wound up in Mainframe. She hurriedly brought some Pokémon with her, just so they could eventually get used to it for the first few cycles.  
  
Since then she became Bob's assistant, fighting off viruses and Users. She was also the one who summoned Samus as the System was in peril during the war against the Web. It was then she used some of her Pokémon to look after Enzo and his friends until Bob was well. But as she grew older she decided to lend them to Mewtwo's care. She continued talking as the assault raged on.  
  
"Samus, there is something you should know. Y'know the rumors surrounding Daemon taking control of the Guardians and infecting the Net?"  
  
Samus nodded.  
  
"It's true! The super virus has infected other Systems as well, just like the same way she's trying to do here. Dot's trying her best to seal the others with a Firewall, but I'm not sure if they could be strong enough to...Wait! Why are they stopping?!"  
  
Sure enough the ships stood still. And Samus saw Bob who was in front of the Armada. Matrix and AndrAIa were also in the mix. On the other side a translucent face of a Guardian appeared.  
  
It spoke, "Your time has come. Lay down your arms, join with us!"  
  
Bob realized it was Cardon, his roommate at the Academy.  
  
 _Why is he mixed up in all this?_ Samus thought.  
  
He talked again. "That was the past. Now there is no past, no future, only the Word. And the Word is Daemon." He smiled at the sensation of being infected, although she realized it was her worst nightmare.  
  
The Guardians were being brainwashed by the infection as she saw some streaks of glowing green lines on his face. She swore that Bob will never be one of them and that she will protect him at all costs.  
  
Infuriated, Matrix shouted, "I've had enough!"  
  
Just then a barrage of missiles shot out from his aircraft and they started to hit the ships on the opposing side. Cardon's signal was no more, and the onslaught was on again. Samus couldn't possibly help them shoot down the Guardians. They were a vital part in defending the other Systems, and she kept remembering how Bob loathes people, even viruses, getting deleted. So she had no choice but to watch from above.  
  
A few moments later, the sky turned purple and radical lightning started to flash. There was a digital female that kept saying, "Warning, Incoming Game." It was a signal that a Game Cube was coming. Just then an enormous, electrocuting, purple cube was dropping onto the battlefield; the combatants didn't really care of what's happening, except Bob who ordered Matrix and AndrAIa to pursue it.  
  
As the cube was falling, she zoomed in on an individual who was running away from the Sector. It was Akari and she saw Samus' ship. She waved her hands, telling her that she needed to be taken up for safety. She did just in time before the Cube landed.  
  
She materialized inside the haul in a bright, silvery tube. She ran to the cockpit and warned Samus, "I think the Guardians didn't see us, but we should go just in case."  
  
She nodded in approval. "I agree. There's nothing we could do but watch and wait. We still have to keep our eyes peeled and see what happens. With Daemon, she could possibly do anything. I've never dealt with a super virus before."  
  
"What about the Mother Brain or Ridley...or even your dark self...?"  
  
"Those were just mere tools...they are nothing compared to this. We should watch closely and avoid being detected." With that she initiated her cloaking device that Slippy gave to her. It worked like a charm as no one, not even the Guardians could see her.  
  
She then noticed that Bob was still in the fray but he was using his powers to contain the Guardians' ships. However, something was wrong. After each blast, his body started to fade in and out and he was losing energy.  
  
"What's happening?" Akari asked.  
  
Samus guessed that it had to do with the merging of his Key Tool. She had a flashback of him doing it because it was a last resort in making a portal to Mainframe. At the time the Saucy Mare was caught in a Web trap created by Mouse, fortunately they all made it safely.  
  
After the Game Cube landed with a deafening boom, the sky turned back to normal. Samus and Akari continued to watch the fray as they were trying to figure out who or what they're dealing with.  
  
 **A/N: Akari is a Japanese name for a girl, meaning light and brightness. I thought it could be a nice touch. She is my OC, after all. Now you know a little something about my past. I always imagined bringing Pokémon to many unknown places, and I'd been fantasizing about helping Bob out with Samus. And now I'm writing about it, whoop whoop! Anyways, I hope you're enjoying this fic and I should warn you that...Well, everyone knows the story in Daemon Rising and so I've decided to put it in a different POV. More is yet to come, so stand by. Ciao.**


	3. Get N' or Get out!

**Disclaimer: I should let you know that I do NOT own Reboot or Super Smash Bros. They belong to their respective owners.  
  
** While the assault of the Guardians was still going on, the Super Computer was being infected under the super virus's control. It had a massive golden tower and twelve subsystems connected by bridges. They were arranged in a clockwise fashion. The structure was shining bright and it was glowing green thanks to Daemon's infection.  
  
Inside of the tower was an enormous room where a pendulum was swinging slowly. It was the Master Room which was the central control center of the System. It could also control other neighboring Systems and it provides people with powerful weapons and equipment. The pendulum was a gigantic circle with spikes protruding out of it. The symbol itself represented Daemon who was sitting quietly on her throne.  
  
Just then a tall Guardian wearing a long, purple robe walked up to her. He also had a long orange mustache and beard while holding a staff with the same symbol as the pendulum's. Like all the other Guardians, he too was infected. He stopped in front of her and spoke in a deep voice. "My Lady."  
  
In response she opened her eyes. She had long blue hair, a skinny figure, and also a French accent.  
  
The Guardian, Daecon, spoke again. "We have opened another System. It...it resists the Word."  
  
Amazed, Daemon said, "Impossible. Show me."  
  
Just then an image appeared behind her throne showing the Guardian's ships being shot down. The super virus thought aloud. "Why do they suffer needlessly, when the Word is inevitable."  
  
Daecon informed her of the situation, why Mainframe has the upper hand. "There's more to it, My Lady. We found him. We have a signal lock on Guardian 452." The image shown him containing the Armada.  
  
Daemon spoke in awe. "Bob. The finest Guardian..."  
  
The Guardian continued, "He has done the unthinkable and joined with his Key Tool."  
  
"They are inseparable?"  
  
"Yes, My Lady. He is the perfect messenger...for the Word."  
  
Daemon requested him in a sinister tone, "Prepare a Zoom Room. Bring my messenger 'ome."  
  
With that, he went straight to work.  
  
  
Unbeknownst to them, someone was watching them on top of the tower's steeple. A black stick figure was looking down from his binoculars and nodded in confirmation. When he moved, however, he made a ticking sound. The stalker hailed from the world of Smash; he was known as Mr. Game & Watch.  
  
He then took out a small control pad which was also shrouded in black. He hurriedly typed and sent a message to Samus' spaceship.  
  
A ringing sound was heard inside and Akari picked it up. The message read:  
  
" **Urgent: Daemon found. Request permission to remove Guardian?** "  
  
"Permission granted. May I ask...who is sending this message?" she said in doubt.  
  
Just then the screen shifted to Game & Watch. She and Samus couldn't believe it!  
  
"Samus, it's Mr. Game & Watch! How did you get to the Super Computer without being detected!"  
  
He scratched his face in thought.  
  
"Who sent you?" Samus asked.  
  
Since he could never speak, he instead made hand gestures. It was like playing a game of Charades. First he was pointing to his open palm.  
  
"Was it him? Did Master Hand send you?" Akari guessed, Game & Watch nodded, clicking as he went.  
  
"How does Master Hand know about Daemon...? Unless...you told him!" Samus protested to Akari.  
  
"No, I didn't tell anyone! I swear." she raised her hands in denial.  
  
Her friend remained calm as she sighed. "I just don't want any more victims. The last thing we want is to let them be infected. We should check the System."  
  
"Great idea!" Akari agreed. "But..."  
  
Before she could continue she and Samus saw Bob fade in and out as he started to fall. "Oh no! Should we help him!"  
  
Samus answered, "Wait! Someone's got him."  
  
Sure enough someone _did_ catch him. She was a virus with brown skin, horns and wings, and a white mask which almost looked like a clown's; it was Hexadecimal. Relieved that she was here to help they watch her warp to his apartment in the Kits Sector. However, the peace was short-lived as a small TV Binome showed up. He was the annoying Mike the TV, jabbering about nothing as usual. The two women could've sworn he was deleted during the System Crash.  
  
"So, Samus, you were saying it's a good idea to check out the Smash world. But what made you hesitate?"  
  
The bounty hunter was a little shaky when she talked about her plan. "We could investigate Smash, but someone has to hold the fort and report what Daemon is up to, in case Mr. Game & Watch calls again."  
  
"Well, we have to decide soon before the System gets sealed with a Firewall. Does that mean we have to split up?"  
  
Before Samus could answer, she and Akari saw an unusual sight.  
  
A small, neon blue cube of energy descended fast from the open door and snatched Bob away.  
  
"She's got him!" they both said in shock.  
  
Fortunately, a few nanoseconds later, he was brought back in the same place.  
  
Apparently Hex was able to save him, but Mike disappeared as well. Akari ordered, "Game & Watch, monitor Daemon for awhile. I'm sure she has made the first catch of the day."  
  
He clicked as he saluted.  
  
  
From the top of the tower he saw Mike emerge in the center of the Clock Room where the super virus, Daecon, and a few monsters with silver masks were watching. From the looks of things, the Binome had no idea where he was.  
  
"Am I deleted?" he spoke.  
  
"Deleted? No. You are in the Super Computer." Daemon replied.  
  
"Oh, that's a relief. Where is it? Well I always wanted to visit the Super Computer, heard so much about it. Did I mention I'm Mike the TV. I just wanted to check the sights-y'know the...tourist thing. I can see you're busy, I'd just be in the way here. Hey, nice to meet you." As he turned to leave, he realized he's talking to Daemon.  
  
Startled he asked, "You're Daemon, aren't you?"  
  
Then she stepped down from her throne, but as she put her foot on the ground, green lines of energy spread out and hit him. Then he declared, "I've had heard the Word! And the Word is Daemon!" Then he started to grovel as he hid his shame, wishing that Bob was here. Then as Daecon left, the virus and the Binome started to talk about the 'messenger.'  
  
"Looks like she's got her first victim." Akari observed.  
  
Samus was somehow not alarmed about it. "She just got Mike, what's so bad about it?"  
  
"What's so bad about it!? Alright, he may be harmless but y'know how he is. He's a jabber mouth, he can reveal our secrets, including Bob and Hex. And you're telling me not to worry about it?"  
  
Samus became embarrassed from Akari's outrage. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize he would be a threat."  
  
"No time for sympathizing, we need to think of who is going to stay and who will go to the Smash System."  
  
Just then they saw a war jet soar toward the door. It was the hacker, Mouse, and she was shooting some projectiles around it.  
  
"This is it! The seal is activating. You're gonna have to stay here!" Samus ordered.  
  
"What? Why do I have to stay?"  
  
"Because you could monitor the System from here. I'll let Game & Watch know you're staying behind. I'll get the reinforcements if you need them."  
  
Akari reluctantly agreed and before Hex tossed the bundle of the Guardian Armada through the hole, Samus pressed a button which unleashed a capsule with Akari inside. The parachute opened as it descended and Samus managed to escape before the door was sealed. Just then the sky turned yellow as a red sphere was shown after Hex's heroic move.  
  
  
While the Guardians were ejected from the System and floating in space, the capsule landed gently next to the apartment, much to Bob's surprise. She struggled to open it but eventually found a lock. She unleashed it and there was some smoke as she stepped out. She then saw the Guardian as he was being fueled by a medical staff.  
  
"Akari! What're you doing here?"  
  
Bashfully, she rubbed her neck. "Ahhh...I just decided to drop in from an...undetected spaceship."  
  
Bob knew exactly what she was referring to. "Was it her? Was Samus here?"  
  
"'Til just a nanosecond ago. We decided to split because she didn't want to interfere with the Armada, and she's going to check on her home world to make sure that it hasn't been infected. I stayed because..." she hesitated. She was too nervous in talking about her and Samus' plan.  
  
"What? What is it?" Before she could answer Hex landed and did a pose as she yelled "Ta-da!"  
  
"Thanks, Hex!" Bob applauded.  
  
She didn't mind as she asked the Binomes to give him all the energy he needed; she's not quite sure why he was getting weaker after each use of his powers.  
  
She got a call on her cellular; since it was from Samus, she could talk to anyone with no static whatsoever. The message was from Game & Watch and from all the moves he was doing, he was very anxious. Since it would take a long time to explain, he held his pad over the main room. She could hear Daecon talking about his failure in catching Bob and, most seriously, how Mainframe was now protected from her infection and the Guardian assault. Mike intervened that Hex was the one responsible for saving the System; Akari had a really bad feeling.  
  
 _I told her he would somehow reveal our secrets._ she thought.  
  
"Alright, Game & Watch. I want you to go and hide somewhere so she won't see you. Thanks for the alert, but please be careful."  
  
She heard some buzzing from him, she knew he understood and she decided to call the bounty hunter. She dialed her ship and she explained everything Game & Watch did. "This is not good. You should get Game & Watch outta there right now."  
  
"I already did. He's on his way out. Did you make it out alright?"  
  
"Yeah I did. I'm gonna check on the System now. Let me know what happens down there, okay?"  
  
"Sure thing, Akari out. And Bob says hi."  
  
"Right, right...I'll call you in a nano." She ended the call and when Akari put her cell away, she saw that Hex was changing!  
  
Her PID was glowing and her once brown skin was turning white. Bob tried to stop the spread but he got shocked and fell down.  
  
"Uh oh! Guys get him somewhere safe-uh...the Principal Office! On the double! NOW!"  
  
They did as they grabbed Bob and filled him with energy. Akari was with them, leaving Hex helpless as she was engulfed with Nulls.  
  
  
A few nanos later, they were there and she was explaining about the first Nullzilla to Enzo after Phong gave him a DVD. Unfortunately, he could barely hear her since Matrix was confronting Bob about giving the virus a PID and forcing him into the Game.  
  
"Um, maybe we should talk about it somewhere else. What do ya say?"  
  
But before they got to the Read-Only room they heard something strange come from the VidWindow. The last Null crawled into the large mass and it formed a mouth as it spoke: "I live! Daughter, help!"  
  
Enzo, Matrix, and Dot were shocked of what they found. That voice was their father's, Wellman Matrix! After Dot explained his failed experiment, resulting his deletion along with the Twin City, Akari escorted Enzo, Frisket, Hack, and Slash where they could watch the movie in peace. She then thought of an idea; when Samus gets reinforcements, she'll educate the Smashers the same way Enzo is doing.  
  
"Surely they'll know who we're dealing with." she thought aloud.  
  
Before she got to the room, however, she eavesdropped on Dot's plan in sealing other Systems with Firewalls. She then called Samus again and said to hurry up.  
  
"Samus, if you want to gather the reinforcements now's the time."  
  
"Why?" she asked.  
  
"Because Matrix and AndrAIa are going to protect the uninfected Systems with Firewalls. No one could get in or out without a portal, so you'd better do it quick!"  
  
"Alright, I'll alert the fighters right away. I'm not sure what we'll do with the already infected Systems. Where should I be after that?"  
  
Akari told her in a whisper so no one could hear. She then hung up and wondered, _Samus...I hope it doesn't take a turn for the worst.  
_  
She walked to Enzo and the others while they were watching the battle with Nullzilla and a gigantic, transformed cyborg.  
  
 **A/N: Guess where I got the inspiration for this title. I'll give you three seconds, nanoseconds is what Mainframers would say. 3...2...1...!  
  
Get it? It's actually the motto when the Nintendo 64 came out. The original Super Smash Bros. was released a few years later.**


	4. Cross ROADS, The Dilemma with Daemon

**A/N: Alright, the first episode from Daemon is done, now here comes the second one.  
  
** Not listening to Akari's advice, Mr. Game & Watch decided to keep an eye on Daemon. Unfortunately, what he got was an earful of irritation. There seemed to be a gospel choir involving the Guardian Sentries and Mike the TV was the lead. It was technically about how Daemon caught him and most of all, her goody-two-shoes method of infecting the Net. Game & Watch couldn't stand it so, until the song finished, he held his microscopic ears in annoyance. Even though he has a black stature, you could barely see that his face was growing red as a beet.  
  
A few nanos later the song ended. What he saw was stunning as he saw the two rows of Guardians hold an egg-shaped device. He recognized them as Seeds and whenever Daemon touched them, they turned from pink to a viral green. Ever the curious one, he decided to find out what those Seeds are being used for.  
  
Meanwhile in the Net, Matrix and AndrAIa were activating Firewalls in the same way Mouse did to Mainframe. What they didn't notice was Samus' ship, which was cruising in the opposite direction as to where the two Sprites were heading. She hoped that she won't be too late in informing her special forces before the System gets sealed.  
  
Back at the War Room, Mouse, Bob, and Phong were monitoring their progress. They've noticed that most of the Systems have not been infected, but rather the pathways. They found out as they turned into a normal blue when the Firewalls were activated. Mouse was confused as why Daemon was only infecting the pathways, while Phong was shocked of the fact that Daemon could infect the entire Net without deleting herself. As the conversation was going on, Dot was preoccupied of how Hex got succumbed by the Null Cocoon.  
  
The female hacker was also nervous as to why the Guardians were using doorways instead of portals to do Daemon's bidding. Dot retorted that it was a weakness they needed to exploit.  
  
Soon the Null Cocoon was growing rampant as a sergeant Binome alerted the Principal Office. Bob and Dot both decided to check it out. Unbeknownst to them, Akari was listening to everything.  
  
Fortunately, Enzo and his friends were so busy watching the movie that no one noticed. As she heard every word, she immediately texted Samus. She then typed back that she is at the Smash System; unfortunately she will have to make an unexpected appearance along with Master Hand, since most of the Smashers are involved in a tourney.  
  
  
Sure enough, they were. It would seem unlikely since there was usually a one-on-one battle, but Bowser was terrorizing the Mushroom Kingdom while the plumber brothers, Mario and Luigi, and Princess Peach were keeping him at bay. Sometimes the turf is inactive but it would eventually have enormous Bullet Bills land on the castle's tower, waiting to explode. There were also some little platforms that would eventually turn to question mark squares in which items could be found.  
  
Once Samus reached her destination, she fired a plasma beam straight toward the Koopa King, knocking him off the tower. He then plummeted to the ground and was stunned by the impact. From below a bunch of Goombas showed up and took him away in a stretcher; however since it was too heavy, they didn't have much luck.  
  
The trio started to giggle until they were interrupted by the bounty hunter exiting from the cockpit. She came out from the roof and jumped to the ground. They were amazed to see her, especially in an unexpected fashion.  
  
"Mama Mia! Samus! Is that a-you?" Mario gasped.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Peach added.  
  
"Whatever it is, it must be important." Suddenly Luigi turned scared. "Y-you're not here to fight us are you?"  
  
She grew impatient of his constant whining. _Why can't he be like his older brother?_ she thought as she rolled her eyes.  
  
"Relax, greenie. That's not why I'm here. Unfortunately we got bigger fish to fry than each other."  
  
The three defenders were curious as they muttered to themselves.  
  
"We?"  
  
"You mean there is more trouble than this stupid tournament?"  
  
"Does it have to deal with Master Hand?"  
  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, guys. One at a time." Samus spoke to keep the clatter down. "Yes, Mario. You go first."  
  
He put his hand down as he asked if Master Hand summoned her. She nodded, "You could say that. Look, I'm here to tell you that..."  
  
Suddenly there was a large boom and before the quartet knew it, the almighty deity showed up right in front of them. He didn't look much, just a large white glove floating in midair. As they knew, he was in charge of everything operating in the Smash System.  
  
Even though he had no mouth, he still spoke in a deep tone "You rang?"  
  
Samus stuttered at his sudden appearance. "Uh-yeah, I did." In a nanosecond, she regained her composure and explained. "Ahem. In case you haven't known there is an enormous threat that will eventually consume us. Daemon is at it with her infection, or the Word as she likes to call it." she said sarcastically. "But the main reason is, we need to prepare ourselves and hurry before this world gets sealed by a Firewall. My friends, Matrix and AndrAIa, are on the way, and I need to gather some recruits before it's too late. Once the Firewall is activated there is no getting out, unless if there is a highly skilled hacker...or a portal." She then thought about Bob and his condition.  
  
Master Hand sighed. "I understand you're urgency. I will help you find the warriors you need. Time is of the essence, we must act quickly. How's my small colleague, is he alright?"  
  
"Yes, he's fine, but not for long. Daemon could trace him in any nanosecond. She's got Mike the TV already, I'm afraid who else she could catch next. And I've sworn to protect the Guardian with all my life; he can't possibly lose this fight."  
  
"Your determination is contagious. I've sent Mr. Game & Watch to the Super Computer to check on her. Unfortunately the Armada is going full swing. He just sent me a photo of them holding an egg-shaped object. I'm afraid this is how they will help Daemon spread her infection throughout the Net."  
  
"How are they going to use these objects?" Samus asked in wonder.  
  
  
At this very nanosecond, a Guardian airship crash landed in the Satellite System. It was being pursued by Matrix and AndrAIa as they ran after the female pilot. She was heading to the Principal Office where, unlike the rest of the buildings, it's satellite dish was ten times larger. It was responsible for monitoring the entire System.  
  
The Core was empty and there was no one in sight; the two chasers assumed that the infected Guardian deleted everyone so she could carry out her function with no interference. She was just about to insert the object until they stopped her.  
  
"Stop. We don't want to hurt you." AndrAIa assured the intruder in a calm voice.  
  
She replied, "You can't hurt me. The Word is with me, always."  
  
Matrix wasn't convinced as he took out his Gun. "Suit yourself."  
  
But before he could shoot it, his lover stopped him. "Matrix, that's not helping." Then she spoke calmly again. "I'm AndrAIa. Tell me about...the Word."  
  
The Guardian looked perplexed. "The Word? My Lady, Daemon?"  
  
The Game Sprite recognized the name as Matrix explained it once to her, then she went on. "Yes, Daemon. What is she like?"  
  
The Guardian zoned out. "Daemon..." She immediately remembered what she had to do and she held the Sprites back.  
  
In anger, Matrix pointed the Gun at her again but the Guardian loaded the Seed and deleted herself as she ran into the Core's fatal energy.  
  
  
Back at the Super Computer, Daecon informed his mistress that Mainframe has protected another hub. As she shown her hourglass, which was almost empty, she spoke. "Time is against them. They do not realize that it is already too late."  
  
He continued that not all Systems have been seeded and that it's impossible to carry out her infection further without using portals.  
  
"Only my Messenger can help us now." Daemon answered.  
  
"Then Mainframe...must fall."  
  
She then ordered him to lock on to Matrix and AndrAIa's icons and send a Zoom Room once they get into her planned System. "It is time for Matrix and AndrAIa to hear the Word." she sneered.  
  
  
At the top of the tower, Mr. Game & Watch decided to call his stakeout quits. He started to slowly climb down to the base without making a ruckus. Unfortunately he was nervous since whenever he moved, he always made a clicking sound.  
  
So he decided to take the risk and jump off. Fortunately he didn't end up deleting himself since he was using a black parasol as he slowly floated down to the floor. After he landed he searched for a way to get out of the System. He remembered Daemon's plan about locking on a person's icon, but lucky for him, he never had one.  
  
As he saw the Guardians board their ships, he ran to one of them and managed to get into the store room under the cockpit. He climbed up the small ramp and when it started to lift off, it closed up. He was now a stowaway and he must warn Matrix and AndrAIa about the super virus' plot.  
  
  
In the Read-Only Room, Enzo and the others were watching a clip from Game Over. The Strolling Player who played the little Sprite was fighting against a User in a Game. It was the Gods, Mortals, and Demons Game as he lost when he was fighting the fire demon. Soon the Cube lifted off as a mechanical voice poorly said that the User won and the Sector was destroyed. Then it shifted to a scene in which Dot cried for the loss of her little brother.  
  
Hack and Slash followed through as Enzo and Akari were eating bags of micro-chips; to her, it was like munching potato chips. As they stopped he assured them that everything was okay, as he explained he turned into Matrix. Slash remembered when he got rid of Megabyte, but Hack got scared.  
  
"D-don't mention that name!" he pleaded. Apparently he didn't want to remember serving him, and Akari couldn't blame him.  
  
During the confrontation Phong came in. "Ahhh, Young Enzo. Hard at work I see."  
  
Then the child got pissed off. "Geez! Everyone keeps calling me Young Enzo this, or Little Enzo that. Well it's gonna stop!"  
  
Phong was taken aback about his new attitude. "My child, what's the problem?"  
  
He went on. "I've just watched all the things I've done. I'm a Guardian now and I'm big, with a cool gun and a babe for a girlfriend. No one's going to call me Little Enzo ever again."  
  
At that moment, a strange thing happened. Enzo's clothes changed. He was now wearing a gray, thick uniform and his icon changed from white and black to gold and black, and he wasn't wearing his trademark cap. Proudly, with his hands on his hips, he declared, "From now on you can call me...Little Matrix!" Akari and the others were flabbergasted at his new appearance; however, she thinks that there could be some hope in him after all.  
  
As Phong left, she asked Enzo a personal question. "Hey, Enzo?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Ahh...I was just wondering...Who was your father, Wellman, I think?"  
  
He sulked until he got the courage to say what he needed to say. "About a few Cycles ago...my dad was a scientist. His dream was to explore the Web, to see if we're the only ones living there. Since travelling was dangerous, he decided to create an experiment. He wanted to make portals so that people would visit those other so-called Systems, if there was any."  
  
As he stopped, she asked, "Was he successful?"  
  
His eyes drooped as he shook his head slowly. Then he told everyone the horrific news.  
  
  
 _Back then Mainframe had two cities, this one and another that looked just like it. The other metropolis was known as the Twin City and they existed side by side. At the original Mainframe, Dot and a couple of Binomes were building her new business, Dot's Diner. Back then her hair was all colorful instead of the usual black, and her clothes matched it. Enzo was wearing a beady hat instead of his usual red hat, and he was a few inches tinier. Plus Frisket was only a puppy.  
  
Enzo complained that they were going to be late for their dad's experiment, but before they got to it, the Twin City's Principal Office exploded. The impact shook the other city and debris was flying everywhere.  
  
At the midst of the destruction there were two viruses standing over the rubble. One was Hexadecimal, while the other was just as big and muscular. He had purple armor with a greenish grin. He also had a red scale at the back of his head and on his chest were green lines that drew evil eyes and a mouth. He was known as Hex's brother and he was the notorious virus, Megabyte. They admired their destruction and they literally tore the place apart. Soon the Twin City was nothing but a mystery.  
  
When Dot, Enzo, and Frisket came to, they alerted the System and surveyed the damage. To their horror, the other System was completely obliterated. All it left behind were many fatal energy spheres known as Tears. As they investigated in an area known as Lost Angles, someone came out of a portal which appeared out of nowhere. The person was blue skinned, had short, gray hair, and a spiffy blue and yellow outfit. He was also wearing a gold and yellow icon and he had a Key Tool on his right arm.  
  
He asked if the three Sprites were alright, but Dot was not impressed. She immediately cried as she accused him of destroying the Twin City. He didn't flinch and he calmly explained that he came to help. He introduced himself as Bob, Guardian 452. And he was looking for a virus known as Killabyte. Unbeknownst that the virus had separated into two entities, and the rest was history.  
_  
  
As Enzo finished telling his tale, Akari was astonished. "Wow. So that was when you first met him, huh?"  
  
"Yeah...I wish I could at least see my dad...one last time..."  
  
He then started to burst into tears and everyone tried to say soothing words to calm him down.  
  
"Don't worry, Enzo-I mean, Matrix. I'm sure you'll see him someday. Besides, I think your sister may be working on a plan to bring him back." Then her face lightened up. "Hey! I bet I could ask Samus to help out, eh? What do ya think?"  
  
Enzo sniffed. "You think so?"  
  
"Yeah! Samus knows a lot about the Net, she's a bounty hunter, after all." She patted his shoulder as she spoke. "I'll let her know after we get this war over with, huh? What do ya say?"  
  
"Really? Alphanumeric! Thanks, Akari!"  
  
"That's a promise...and a secret." she added.  
  
A few nanos later a Game Cube was coming down in the Kits Sector and while Enzo and the others pursued it, Akari alerted Samus once again.  
  
 **A/N: In case you haven't noticed, the scenarios in Cross Nodes have been rearranged. If this story is getting confusing, I apologize. I'm just getting all the good stuff and omitting some of the boring scenes.  
  
What does Master Hand know about Daemon? And what would happen to Matrix, AndrAIa, and Mr. Game & Watch? Find out on the next chapter. This will be the second to last episode of Cross Nodes. I still have no idea why they would call it Cross Nodes instead of Cross "Roads." Stay tuned.**


	5. The Recruitment Begins!

**A/N: This is when the Smashers get chosen for the Net War. Now it's going to be most of the characters, including the hidden ones, but some of them will be omitted.  
  
Oh and a word to the wise, when I was thinking about Marth's scenario I was a bit rusty on Fire Emblem. This part kept reminding me about my failure in the Event Match En Garde, and how Link was chosen for Soul Calibur instead of Marth. I was so jealous, and he may be a little OOC, so you've been warned. On with the story.  
  
**Back at the Mushroom Kingdom, Master Hand was discussing about the Seeds that Daemon was using. Samus was the first to speak.  
  
"How do you know all this? About the Seeds and your plan to send Game & Watch to the Super Computer? You must have had a good reason since you're putting his life in danger!" Samus was infuriated when she talked about the little two-dimensional Sprite.  
  
He tried to compose himself as he said, "I've sent Game & Watch to the Super Computer to spy on Daemon. And since he has a small frame-like figure, he could easily not be detected. He was one of our...imperfect Smashers, but I saved him from deletion-"  
  
"Ok, ok, we got it! Now my second question. How did you know about the Seeds? Have you seen them before?"  
  
Master Hand hesitated as his hand drooped. Whatever he was going to say wasn't going to be easy for them to hear.  
  
"Everyone, I have a secret to tell you. You may share it with your fellow comrades, but no one else. Understood?"  
  
They all nodded and he pressed on.  
  
"My fellow Smashers...you know I was chosen to govern this world, correct? There was a reason for that. In the past, I was interested in becoming a full-fledged Guardian. Since I'm only a single hand, I wasn't capable of doing very much. Plus I was constantly harassed because of my unique stature. I've always wanted to do more. I wanted more power, more attributes. So eventually I enlisted myself personally to the Super Computer where the Academy was taken place. I passed all the tests with flying colors, and the Prime Guardian was impressed of my work. In fact, I was so good that I actually graduated earlier than the other Cadets. He wanted to give me a Key Tool but, since I was just a hand and not a regular Sprite, I declined. In order to give me the same abilities in which a Guardian uses, I stole one of them and downloaded it, which I ended up being merged."  
  
Samus was shocked. "That's the same thing that Bob did! Daemon could be after you!"  
  
"That's true, but she doesn't know that. Guys...I'm the Guardian of the Smash System. I can form portals, mend tears, even download stats of everything I see. I'm a living, breathing Guardian Key Tool!"  
  
Everyone gasped and when it started to subside, Mario told him. "Please, we need to gather the other fighters before we get-a-trapped. We'll be protected by Daemon but I want to fight-a-this war. Those who stay will..."  
  
"Continue the tournament!" Master Hand declared.  
  
Peach and Luigi became scared, those two will never stay and be plummeted by the other fighters, especially the evil ones. That made Peach say to him, "What're you going to do with Bowser and Ganondorf and the others...?"  
  
"Don't forget, sweetheart. I'm a Guardian, I'll hold them back until the battle is over."  
  
Luigi sighed with relief.  
  
"Let's get them before this world gets sealed. Who's with me?" Samus declared.  
  
Everyone raised their hands.  
  
"Alright, let's-a-go!" Mario said with delight.  
  
As he did everyone did their battle poses. Before Master Hand disappeared, he wished them all good luck. "I'm counting on all of you!"  
  
"Okay, we'll cover more ground if we split up. I'll use my ship and head to the Space Sector. Mario, you go to Hyrule, then the F-Zero Sector. Luigi since you're...less bolder than your brother, Peach will go with you. Gather the warriors in the Sectors that are close to you. I'll get the rest of them since they are like miles away. We must hurry before the System is closed. We'll meet back here as soon as we get everyone. Alright, let's do this!"  
  
They all laid their hands on top of each other, and as they yelled, "Go, SMASHERS!" they were off. Samus cruised in her ship, Mario took a Warp Pipe, and Luigi and Peach used another one. They all went their separate ways to get whoever was willing to save the Net.  
  
  
Samus was the first who gathered the most Smashers. She first stopped by at Corneria where Fox McCloud and Falco Lombardi were fighting on top of the Great Fox. She could see that some Arwings and Wolfens were shooting them. As the two combatants saw the yellow mothership, they immediately stopped.  
  
"Hold your fire!" Falco ordered.  
  
"At ease! Stop shooting, it's Samus!" Fox added. Sure enough they did.  
  
Samus stood on the roof and shouted to them since the other ships' engines were roaring. "Hey! Fox, Falco, I need your help! You have to use your Arwings and come with me, right now!"  
  
"Where are you going?" Fox asked.  
  
"I'm going to pick up more fighters. There is a war going on and I need reinforcements!"  
  
"What kind of war?" Falco questioned.  
  
"A friend of mine needs us. A super-virus named Daemon is threatening and infecting the Net with The Word. She needs us to delete her, most of the Guardian Collective has been manipulated already. Mainframe is her next target, and so is this world."  
  
Fox almost knew what Samus was talking about. "A super virus? And she's infecting the Net? I guess we'll help you."  
  
Falco asked, "Just for curiosity, who needs our help?"  
  
"Master Hand and...Akari!"  
  
That got their attention, clearly they were needed. Fox declared, "Alright, we'll get in our Arwings right now."  
  
Samus ordered, "Okay, but he needs only you two; no on else."  
  
They wondered why they can't use the rest of the Star Fox team. She answered that they are her only hope in defending the System and not create more victims. They agreed and hopped to the lower deck and went in the back hatch.  
  
They ran down the hallway, almost the same style as they did in their last adventure, and met up with Peppy, Slippy, and ROB in the cockpit.  
  
"We're heading to Mainframe, after we stop by the Mushroom Kingdom. You guys stay and protect Corneria from enemy invasion. Understood?" Fox declared.  
  
"You got it, Fox." Peppy saluted.  
  
"Be careful out there." Slippy added.  
  
"Affirmative, we'll be fine." ROB said.  
  
"Good luck, Starfox!" They all cheered as the two pilots ran to their Arwings. They took off and headed to the rendezvous point.  
  
  
Then Samus headed to Onett where Mewtwo and Ness were fighting in the city. They were in front of a tall building and there was a clothing line to the right, and a house to the left. Plus there were a lot of traffic which narrowly ran over the competitors. What the Psychic Pokémon was trying to do is use Ness' Psi Magnet properly so he could convert enemy fire into restorative energy. He kept using Shadow Balls to make it work, until Samus barged in.  
  
As the ship landed, the sign and the two roofs fell to the street. And Ness perked, "Hey! It's the bounty hunter, Samus Aran! What's up?"  
  
She landed near them and asked for their help. "Listen closely, a war is starting. The person who is responsible is a super virus named Daemon. She's infected everyone in the Guardian Collective, except Matrix and my best friend, Bob. Mainframe will eventually be her next target, which is now sealed by a Firewall. Soon, this world will be too. We need to gather warriors from various locations and who is willing to fight Daemon and save this System from infection. Are you with me?"  
  
As Samus was talking, Mewtwo had a few flashbacks about Mainframe and Matrix.  
  
 _He was once summoned to Mainframe, back when Akari was a Pokémon Trainer. During that time Bob wasn't around and Megabyte and Hex both got encased in a Firewall Enzo made. It was his job to protect him as a Game Cube fell. He could never get rid of the regret when he failed to do so against the Fire Demon. It was due to the fact he wasn't chosen for the fight. Now that he's alive, he'll try his best to save him again.  
_  
"So, Daemon is going to infect Mainframe and this world?" Mewtwo said as he absorbed the info. "Did Akari send you here?"  
  
Samus nodded and replied, "Yes. She needs us to protect the Net from Daemon's ongoing infection, or The Word. God I hate that name!"  
  
"She...only wants me, right? I mean since she's going through growing pains, it may be hard for her to use all the Pokémon she once trained. So, I'll go. To protect the Pokémon, Mainframe, and the entire Net!" he declared.  
  
"I'll help too. I could use my psychedelic powers to slow Daemon down." Then Ness thought to himself, _I hope my training has paid off.  
_  
"You ready?" Mewtwo asked, but Ness wasn't paying attention. "Ness!"  
  
"Uh-yeah! I'm ready." Mewtwo looked stern. "This isn't a game anymore. You'll have to use your powers on your own. There's no turning back. Got it?"  
  
Ness nodded. "Yes, sir!"  
  
Samus lead the two warriors inside the cockpit and she took off to Dream Land.  
  
  
As she landed she warped up Kirby who was stuffing himself with fallen apples from the Whispy Woods Tree. She caught him just in time as the tree started to blow Kirby away, like a balloon caught in a strong updraft.  
  
"It's alright, Kirby. You're with us now." Samus reassured as she continued to look for more recruits. She and the others explained their predicament to the confused, pink puffball.  
  
  
Mario went to the kingdom of Hyrule where a destroyed castle loomed in the distance. To him and his fighters, it was instead known as the Hyrule Temple. It was a long way to go as he traveled through a maze. From there he had to fight a variety of enemies including Redeads, Octoroks, even various copies of Link. There were four sections in the Maze and one of them was the way out. The remaining rooms had those Link copies, but by the time he crossed ove a massive lava pit, he found a door with the symbol of a Triforce on it. He went outside and he saw Link and Zelda fight Ganondorf. He decided to help and as they defeated the powerful warlock he explained his predicament.  
  
They agreed to go and Link told him that his younger counterpart is somewhere in Termina. He found an old Warp Pipe and saw the child there, standing lonely on a pier looking over the bay. Only the Warp Pipe was actually a part of the Turtle Island's mouth. As it belched, Mario, Link, and Zelda flew out and landed on the red balloon where Tingle was hanging. As Link landed after the plumber and the princess, his sword poked it and they plummeted to the cold, hard concrete.  
  
As the trio came to, Young Link was astonished of seeing his adult self. "Hey, what are you doing here!? Or should I say...What are WE doing here!?"  
  
The older Link looked just as perplexed. "It's my younger self...and that's Tingle. Sorry about that." he said as he scratched the back of his neck. Tingle just smiled and wandered away.  
  
The kid was still not getting over his nostalgia. "I can't believe it. How did you get to Termina? And...is that Princess Zelda?"  
  
"Yes." she greeted and introduced him to Mario. "I've never seen you around here."  
  
"It's-a-long story, but we have ta get moving. There is a great-a-evil that's coming." he explained. He told him about Daemon and why they were recruited by Samus and the Master Hand. Apparently, Young Link had never heard of them before so the trio made a long explanation as they walked on.  
  
  
Luigi and Peach were walking into a jungle and as they got to a clearing, they saw an enormous happy tree. It was literally happy as it had a gigantic, smiling heart at the top. It also grew a huge assortment of fruits. Just then they saw a green dinosaur with a saddle walk up and smell the tree. He curiously looked at a honeydew melon and as fast as lightning, he used his tongue like a chameleon's and ate it. The strangest thing was that as soon as it was gone, another one grew back in its place. Realizing he was full he walked off, but not before the green plumber and the princess could stop him.  
  
"Yoshi!" They both shouted with glee.  
  
The confused dinosaur perked up and looked at the new strangers. _Who are they?_ he thought to himself.  
  
As if reading his mind, Luigi spoke, "It's me! You're good friend, Luigi! This is Princess Peach. You helped save her from Bowser, remember?"  
  
The green dino scratched his chin in confusion; clearly he had no idea who the two fighters were.  
  
"Maybe he doesn't remember us..." Peach wondered.  
  
"Or, maybe it's a different Yoshi." Luigi added. "Either way, you're coming with us."  
  
In response he shrugged his arms and followed them, since he had nothing else to do. He then saw a Koopa Troopa with a blue shell. His stomach growled again and he swallowed it in about three nanos. Just then two Pegasus wings appeared on his back. Rather than walking he decided to have Luigi and Peach ride his back. At first it was uncomfortable since there were two riders on his small back, but eventually they made room. Soon they were on their way to the other Sectors as Yoshi flew through the clear, blue sky.  
  
  
"How did we get here?" Zelda asked as she and her friends wandered on a long race track overlooking a massive ocean. According to the flashing banner above the starting line, the header read: **Big Blue**.  
  
"I guess that-a-Power Star wasn't a Power Star, after all. It seemed ta have us warped here." Mario concluded.  
  
"But...where is here?" Young Link queried.  
  
Just then they heard a sound like they've never heard before. And they saw a huge number of racecars closing fast.  
  
"What do we do? We can't get run over by them!" Link said.  
  
Frantically Mario searched for a platform and he found one soaring a few feet over the track. They immediately jumped on it as the F-Zero machines sped right underneath them. The platform shook as they raced past it.  
  
"That was close." Young Link said.  
  
"We need ta find Captain Falcon. He's one of our comrades, and he drives the Blue Falcon." Mario explained.  
  
"How do we know if it's his?" Zelda asked.  
  
"We just need to find a blue machine with a long, narrow nose. And it has the numbers 07. I think I saw him lead the other racers. He's famous for his winnings after all."  
  
So they waited about ten nanos until they saw only one machine head toward them. Clearly the race was over and one of the pilots was doing his victory lap.  
  
"Just like the good ol' days." Mario said as he reminisced how he kept winning in his Grand Prix. He slipped down and landed back on the track. The Smashers gasped.  
  
"What're you doing?"  
  
"Get back up there!"  
  
"Are you crazy?"  
  
Mario reassured them. "It's alright-a-. I'm just waiting for Falcon to show up. Then I'll ask for his help."  
  
"Don't get run over!" Zelda screeched.  
  
As the Blue Falcon was slowing down on the finish line, Mario rushed over to it, along with the others on his tail. Curious, Falcon looked out from his vehicle and saw Mario, Link, Young Link, and Zelda run toward him. He jumped out and greeted them. "Wassup?"  
  
"Hey-a, Falcon. Listen we have some urgent news to tell you." Mario stated. "We need you to come with us."  
  
Falcon was irritated. "Awww. I'm just about to receive my first-place trophy-"  
  
"Receive it later. We need your Blue Falcon and head back to Samus' ship." Link said.  
  
The F-Zero champion hesitated as he rubbed his chin in thought. "Well...I guess it could be delivered to my hideout in Port Town, so I guess I'll get it later. Who's causing all this trouble, Black Shadow?"  
  
"We'll tell you on the way there. The rendezvous point is at Mushroom Kingdom." Mario said.  
  
"Alright, let's go!"  
  
Falcon jumped back in his seat with Mario and the others. In the speed of light, the Blue Falcon took off to their destination.  
  
  
In the mountainous desert of Archanea, which wasn't too far from Hyrule, lived a distinctive young prince named Marth. He was a legendary nobleman who was most famous in combat. His trusty sword, the Falchion, never failed. In fact, when enemies were attacked from the tip, they usually get weakened or deleted quite easily. However, Marth wasn't in the mood for fighting. He was alone looking over the castle's balcony as he sadly watched over his domain.  
  
What bothered the young prince was the humiliation and embarrassment he felt after that spar with his rival, Link, back at the Hyrule Temple. He lost the bout and even worse, the Hero of Time's popularity had multiplied drastically. He was later chosen for the search of the legendary sword, Soul Calibur, which was the only blade that would bring peace to the world by defeating the wielder of the unholy blade, Soul Edge. Since then, his recognition was astronomical, leaving Marth in the dust. Sure he was a person of interest in his home world, but unfortunately not as much as his bitter opponent.  
  
He sighed as he thought aloud, "When will I be as good as him..."  
  
Then he thought about another swordsman around his age who was also famous for his work. That warrior had a close connection with Marth, as he was famous in the neighboring land of Elibe. He always wanted to meet him directly but his duties kept him limited to Archanea. Oh, how he wished he would venture beyond its borders and be more recognizable. "Someday I'll be as famous and well-liked as Link...Someday."  
  
Just then he saw someone run to his castle. He had short, brown hair, blue armor, and a red cape. He had a different-colored sword known as the Sword of Seals. He was well-known in Elibe and his name was Roy. As he requested to the castle guards he waved to Marth. Like him, he wanted to see the hero he wanted to meet. But, he was not alone. Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi were right behind him.  
  
"Marth! Is that you!?"  
  
Startled to see his prodigy, he yelled back, "Uh-yeah! I'll be right down!" Sure enough he did as he ran down the stone stairs as fast as his feet could carry him. He was as happy as a kid storming down the stairs for Christmas presents. He dashed through the main gates and after a few moments, they hugged each other as if they were two long lost brothers.  
  
Luigi sighed, "I wish my brother was just as fond with me."  
  
"Awww, isn't it sweet?" Peach complimented.  
  
As they parted the two warriors introduced themselves. Eventually the conversation got a little too long and Luigi was getting impatient.  
  
"Um, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but...We've got trouble."  
  
Marth was confused. "Trouble?"  
  
"What trouble?" Roy added just as curious.  
  
"Th-there's something scary goin' on. It could destroy us all."  
  
"What're you saying, Luigi?" Marth asked.  
  
As a true friend, Roy explained everything to him. "Well, it's kind of a long story. There's an incoming threat that could manipulate us, including others. The culprit is Daemon, a super virus they say."  
  
"Super...virus? Can it make you sick?" Marth asked, clueless.  
  
Roy reasoned with him. "No. Actually, it's what Master Hand and Samus called it. It's a virus that could infect worlds...err, Systems they call them. It can cause massive destruction and, like the fall of the Lycian Army, it could dominate and make civilians do her own bidding. Worse it could...delete...or kill anyone who poses a threat. Eventually she'll invade our world, and Samus wants us to stop her."  
  
Roy paused a few nanoseconds as Marth tried to take everything in. "Hey, maybe it could give you the recognition you've been yearning to have for all these years, eh?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess." Marth said, still in a daze.  
  
Yoshi chimed, "Come on, guys. Let's head back to rendezvous, and stop that virus!" He excitedly did some punches and kicks as he was ready for battle.  
  
"Alright, but what should we use?" Marth asked.  
  
"You could use his wyvern, sire." One of the guards said as he was pulling an enormous white dragon with the reins.  
  
"Great! Now I have a flying buddy!" Yoshi beamed.  
  
"He's all yours. Good luck on your journey, and don't worry about him getting lost. He'll always find his way back."  
  
"Thanks." Marth said as he was the first to climb on its back along with Roy.  
  
Like a horse, he used the reins to make it lift off and with a roar, it flew along with Yoshi who still had his Pegasus wings.  
  
  
On the northern part of the Smash System was a 25,000 foot mountain. It was known as the treacherous Icicle Mountain, and it was the common place where two children compete. It was the turf for a boy in a blue parka, wielding a wooden hammer. His name was Popo. There was also a girl with a pink parka, who also wielded a wooden hammer. Her name was Nana, and together, they were known as the Ice Climbers. They've been the best of friends as far as they could remember and they've been training at this same mountain; however, they never reached the summit because of its slippery slopes, fierce inhabitants, and the extreme cold.  
  
Those things never discouraged the two travelers and Popo had an idea. "Hey, Nana, want to have a race?"  
  
"A race?" she repeated.  
  
"Yeah. Whoever gets to the highest peak of this mountain wins. Whadda ya think?"  
  
She smiled as she spoke with enthusiasm, "So it's a challenge! This should be fun!"  
  
"Hey, don't forget, you're talking to a professional mountain climber here!" Popo said as he pointed to himself.  
  
"Then I'm going to be just like the mountain climber, if I win, that is. Or should I say, WHEN I win!"  
  
They both giggled and Popo started the race as he said, "1, 2, 3, Go!"  
  
They both hopped up the mountain as they tried to conquer the harsh elements. They showed no fear as they never cared how high they were, or when they came face to face with monstrous polar bears or annoying Tapis. Sometimes there were a few obstacles to overcome like avoid being frozen stiff by Freezies or knocking through massive ice blocks. They continued on and as they went further the gentle snowfall transformed instantly into a blinding blizzard. There was hardly any visibility and the temperature just kept dropping. But the two never gave up. They kept trekking up to the summit.  
  
Faster and faster they climbed until Popo accidentally slipped and lost his footing. The small icy platform started to break, but before he plummeted, he was grabbed by his best friend, Nana, who was smiling to see him. He grinned right back and she pulled him up. They finally reached the summit and they kept jumping and shouting with excitement as they made their accomplishment.  
  
"Wow! I can't believe we did it, Nana!"  
  
She gleamed, "You said it, Popo!"  
  
The snow was blown away as an Arwing was landing next to them.  
  
Fox was piloting it and he yelled over the harsh wind. "Hey! Hurry up and get in, it's freezing out here!"  
  
They looked at each other and nodded and they quickly boarded the fighter jet. Fox wanted to quickly leave this place before the engines would freeze. It boosted and the trio were off to the rendezvous point.  
  
  
There was one more fighter left to pick up and that was the biggest one of all, almost equivalent to Bowser. He has been Mario's rival for decades, but he eventually quit the competition as he had his own claim to fame. With a funky rap song that can't be beat he is the first member of the crew known as the Kongs. He's the great ape wearing a touchy red tie with the letters DK on it. He's the one and only, Donkey Kong!  
  
Unfortunately he wasn't found bashing Kremlings or swinging from vine to vine in the dense jungle. Instead he was inside his treehouse, sleeping like a log and snoring like it was no one's business.  
  
Mario, Captain Falcon, and the rest of the gang knew where to go. Luckily for them, the all-time rival knew where he'd be and knew what he was doing. It was a typical day and he knew it, which was why he complained as he was hand picked to awaken the ape.  
  
"Ohhh, why do I have ta wake him up? He'll get awfully mad if he notices that he's being woken up from his arch rival." Mario whined.  
  
"Yes, and that's why we've chosen you in the first place. No one knows about Donkey Kong more besides you." Falcon explained.  
  
"Besides, we want him as our last recruit to go against Daemon." Link added.  
  
Mario sighed. "Alright, alright, I'll do it..."  
  
He mumbled as he was jumping up the ledges to the top. The opening was covered by a thick curtain and he tossed it out of the way as he came through. Inside there was a lot of junk, plus some banana peels scattered all over the wooden floor. Mario barely slipped on one as he snuck towards DK's bed. There was even a portrait that had a female monkey with long, blonde hair, heavy makeup and lipstick, and a two-piece pink outfit on a skinny body. He realized it was DK's girlfriend, Candy Kong, whom he makes fun of when she's not around. As he literally reached to the circular bed, which was barely big enough to fit the ape's huge stature, he shook his arm a few times. He then put his arm aside and mumbled in his sleep, and he continued snoring.  
  
 _Wow. I didn't realize he was such-a heavy sleeper_. the plumber thought.  
  
But he kept trying as he once did his fighting stance to get his attention. That never worked, then he tried the unthinkable. He used some fireballs, which was strange since he didn't have a Fire Flower in his possession. However, DK swapped them away like flies, leaving him in a deep sleep once again.  
  
As he was about to give up, Young Link shouted, "Hey, Mario, come here. We've got an idea."  
  
Surely he did as he jumped off the treehouse to the ground below where the group was waiting.  
  
"My little partner's got a plan." Link said.  
  
"Yes, but this is going to take some of our cunning." Zelda added.  
  
"No. All of our cunning." Falcon said. They huddled up as they whispered their ideas.  
  
A few short minutes later, they went straight to work. First, Falcon parked his Blue Falcon next to the bottom entrance where stacks and STACKS of bananas were resting. Falcon took a bunch, then Mario, next Link, Zelda, and Young Link. As they grabbed the handfuls they loaded them inside the machine.  
  
"How's this-a-gonna work?" Mario asked curiously.  
  
"Well, monkeys, especially apes are...more likely to have a strong sense of smell. Not like a dog's but more than the average bear." Falcon said. "Anyways, we take the bananas away in my machine, right? Now, I'm hoping that DK will notice the odor of the bananas. I mean, hell they're as ripe as any banana I've ever seen. So, basically we're luring DK to us." He gave an evil sneer.  
  
Mario was outraged. "What?! DK is going to pummel us!"  
  
"That's the idea!" Falcon reassured. "Besides he's not as fast as my Falcon Punch."  
  
"I guess we could try..." Mario said, still uncertain.  
  
"It'll work trrrrust me." Sure enough, everyone climbed into the Blue Falcon and it took off, starting really slowly.  
  
From the ventilation, the aroma was like a yellow haze which was rising to the upmost floor of the treehouse. It then entered the room and DK sniffed it. However, he was still asleep. He murmured, "Urgh...Wrinkly are you making your famous banana-custard cake again..?"  
  
Then he started to sleepwalk toward the rear of his room, knocking over objects in the process. Eventually he hit a wall and took a deep sniff. That was when the gang's plan really started to work.  
  
He immediately opened his huge eyes and snarled as he made an angry face. One thing was for certain, if there was a strong scent like that, it meant the bananas have been stolen. He rushed to the edge, looking for tracks. He found none, but off in the distance he saw a blue F-Zero car race away leaving the aurora in its trail. In his rage, he let out a menacing roar as he pounded his chest, scaring all the birds away, including a few red parrots.  
  
He jumped from his perch and ran as fast as any normal ape would go, following the stolen banana scent.  
  
Mario looked in the rear view mirror as he was riding shotgun. "It's him! He's closing on us!"  
  
"Our plan's working! Just sit tight." Falcon said.  
  
With a few miles of running and swinging, DK finally caught up. He, however, went ahead as he hopped from tree to tree, preparing the ambush. He later landed several feet from the runaway machine and he used his Ground Quake as he slapped the ground. The car felt it and it spun out of control. As it stopped, DK wanted to wait and see the perpetrators, but he changed his mind. He lifted the machine with all his strength and looked through the window.  
  
"AAAAHHH!" The fighters yelped as they looked into the two menacing eyes. After a few nanoseconds, he slammed the machine to the ground, leaving the occupants disoriented.  
  
As they came to, he wound up for his special move, the Giant Punch. If he gathered enough momentum, he would send anyone or anything flying regardless how big. They noticed it and they were scared, but Falcon was still pretty confident.  
  
"What do we do!"  
  
"Do something!"  
  
"Some plan, Falcon..."  
  
"This was a great idea..."  
  
To quiet the mumbling he told them, "Shut up! I know what I'm doing." He leaped out of the driver's seat and met up with the great primate.  
  
"Grrrr! You stole my bananas?! You're going to pay!" DK said in anger.  
  
Falcon didn't flinch, he stood like a trophy as he stomped closer. At the last nanosecond before DK unleashed his fury, Falcon did his work.  
  
"FALLLCOOON PUUUUNCHHHH!" He threw his right fist against DK's chest as a radiant light shaped like a falcon appeared. They could've sworn that they heard a screech as he made his move.  
  
Surprised, DK was flown across the jungle floor and hit a tree which made a beehive land on his head. The bees got angry as they buzzed louder. "AAAARRRRGGHH!" DK ran with it as he tried to break loose, the bees continued to sting him. Finally he used all his brutality to toss the hive off his head and throw it aside.  
  
The great ape was pissed to the teeth. He stomped toward the group again, but Mario stopped him in his tracks. "Whoa-a-Donkey Kong. We weren't trying to actually steal the bananas."  
  
"Oh YEAH?!? Then what was all this for!?"  
  
"We just wanted to wake you up so you could join us on our..."  
  
Young Link thought, _Wait. I can't say war because that would upset him..._  
  
He spoke again. "Ummm, we just want you to fight with us in this...new tourney" His face beamed as he fibbed.  
  
"Baggh! I can't stand another tourney. What does this all mean?" DK snorted.  
  
"It means saving the world." Link clarified. "Besides...you don't want anything to happen to your bananas, would you?"  
  
"No! Not my bananas!" DK begged on his knees. "Please! I'll do anything to protect my bananas. I'll do anything, ANYTHING!"  
  
"Whoa...some strong ape you are." Falcon murmured.  
  
"What should I do?" DK asked, choking to keep back the tears.  
  
"Follow us." Mario suggested.  
  
Back at the banana horde, all the yummy fruits were returned and DK got the memo.  
  
"Ahh, I see. You were setting me up so I could be recruited by Master Hand and Samus at the Mushroom Kingdom. Ahhh...It'll be nice to see Akari again, I wonder what she's doing now." he thought.  
  
"Enough talk, let's go!" Falcon saluted as the team, except DK, climbed inside again. The great ape, however, was riding on the roof, right between the two wings.  
  
"Hold on tight! Mushroom Kingdom here we come!" Falcon shouted. The car was off to the rendezvous point where all the other Smashers are waiting.  
  
 **A/N: Sorry for the incredibly long chapter; there was a lot to do in getting the Smashers ready for the war. I decided to take a break from the main storyline for awhile, this is a Smash Bros. X-over too, you know. Anyway, the next chapter will get back to the Reboot story, though at times it'll probably switch in between. Hope you like it so far, especially the hilarious jokes with DK. Until next time, Ciao.**


	6. Hatching a Plan?

**A/N: For the longest time, this was the furthest I got with this crossover. When the time comes, I hope I'll add more to the story; I know it's been incomplete, but I hope I'll someday have the inspiration to resume it with more chapters soon.  
  
** The recruited Smashers have reached their destination. Samus' ship, the two Arwings, the Warp Star, Marth's wyvern, Yoshi with his Pegasus wings, Mewtwo taking off like a rocket using his Psychic energy, and the Blue Falcon were cruising toward the tower of Peach's castle. They all landed and gathered around as they awaited Master Hand's final instructions.  
  
"So what do we do now?" Falcon asked.  
  
"We just have to wait for Master Hand to show up." Samus replied.  
  
"I sure hope Mr. Game & Watch is okay." Marth said as he just discovered his fate from Roy.  
  
Samus was the most uptight. "C'mon, Master Hand. How long do we have to wait before we get closed from a Firewall. Please hurry..."  
  
As if reading her mind the other comrades grew just as grim. Where was the Master Hand when they needed him? Just then, there was a ball of light in the sky and an enormous red orb emerged in its place. They realized it was the Firewall.  
  
They started to mope. "The Firewall has closed the System..." Samus concluded.  
  
"We're too-a-late." Mario sighed.  
  
"Not quite yet!" There was this booming sound again and the Master Hand appeared just above the Smashers. He looked at them, curiously. "Why are you all so glum? There is still a way out of here."  
  
"No. There isn't. The world is sealed in a Firewall." Fox said.  
  
"Besides, only a hacker can get us out. Or maybe someone who could form portals." Falco added.  
  
"Hmm. Have you forgotten?" Master Hand said. "I'm the Guardian of this System, and a living Key Tool. All I need is a Tear."  
  
Samus lightened up and started to scan for it. Through the visor, she saw an orb filled with erratic energy, inside Peach's steeple! She explained that it's there and grew morbid again.  
  
Peach knew what she had to do. "Go ahead, Samus. If it's for our world...so be it."  
  
The bounty hunter took a deep breath and ordered the Master Hand to shoot the steeple apart. The Smashers moved aside as his index finger aimed toward it. In a blink of an eye, his finger shot out a laser beam which made the steeple explode. Everyone covered their eyes as debris rained down on them. After a few nanoseconds the smoke cleared and a Tear appeared.  
  
"So, this is a Tear." Fox said, amazed.  
  
"I've never seen anything like it." Link added.  
  
"Great! Now for the portal!" Kirby said, excited.  
  
Master Hand opened his palm and an enormous amount of energy shot out. The portal appeared where the Tear was; however, it only shown the vast space of the Web.  
  
"This is the farthest I can make the portal, since Mainframe has been-Wait!" The Guardian boomed again.  
  
"What is it, Master Hand?" Zelda asked, concern ringing in her voice.  
  
"Something's wrong." he replied.  
  
  
Matrix and AndrAIa were in the Desert Port System. They've just got a signal to close the door and protect it from infection like they did with the Smash System. They have surveyed the damage.  
  
"Just like the last two. Open System, trashed port." Matrix explained.  
  
"The Guardian's calling card." AndrAIa added.  
  
"I'll plant the Sectors first. We're running out of time. Where's the portal gonna open?"  
  
AndrAIa pointed to a damaged Sector. "Down there, Loading Bay 2."  
  
Just as they were about to investigate, they stopped. "What is it? What have you heard?" Matrix asked.  
  
"A power build-up, coming from the Control Tower." Despite the damaged System, the tower was still intact. "Sparky, it's still functioning. It's a trap!"  
  
"Let's get out of here!" Matrix yelled.  
  
They were too late, as the tower shot a beam of energy which closed the Door and trapped them in the Net. To make matters worse, five Guardian airships were in pursuit.  
  
Mr. Game & Watch was looking through a window in the storage room. As he did he looked for Matrix and AndrAIa. As he found them, flying away from the ship, he let out a ringing noise in triumph. Now all he has to do is save them from this madness.  
  
 _But how...?_ he thought.  
  
  
Back in Mainframe, Akari was receiving the news from Samus. She was so busy that she didn't notice Enzo and the others pursue the incoming Game Cube dropping on the Kits Sector. She thought it was strange that the User can still load a Game, even if the System is sealed.  
  
Shortly after she heard Little Matrix's cries as Mouse apprehended him. "Put me down! This is no way to treat a renegade!"  
  
Then she eavesdropped on the conversation in the War Room. Mouse was discussing her predicaments with Phong.  
  
"Bob and Dot are caught in the Game." Phong said.  
  
"Don't sweat it, they'll be fine." Mouse reassured.  
  
"But, Bob is unwell."  
  
"Then Dot will take the User out."  
  
"And the countdown near zero...We need Bob to open the portal. Or Matrix and AndrAIa will be trapped in the Net!"  
  
Mouse was clearly stunned by he news. "Now...you got me there."  
  
 _What 'countdown' is he talking about? The portal?_ Akari thought. Then her mind shifted to Bob. _Ohh...I hope Bob will make it out alright. I am worried about his condition..._  
  
As she immediately shook it off, she headed out and looked at the roof of the Principal Office. Eventually the portal will show up soon. "It'd better before they get themselves captured by Daemon..." she muttered aloud as she remembered Game & Watch's message.  
  
  
Meanwhile Matrix and AndrAIa were involved in the middle of a fray with the surviving Guardian Armada. Game & Watch observed with horror as he watched each of the Sprites' ships go down. The first was AndrAIa's, and she ran to a nearby warehouse with the Guardians on her tail. Soon after Matrix followed as he landed his motorbike and ran to the secret hideout.  
  
Since the ships landed, it was his perfect opportunity to finally "get out of this dump." He didn't want the soldiers to see him, so he stayed underneath the ship.  
  
Inside, Matrix stalled his ride's engine and AdrAIa asked, "What took you?"  
  
He answered, "Traffic's murder out there."  
  
"No. The traffic isn't murder. The Guardians aren't trying to delete us. None of the tanks have fired a shot."  
  
Matrix got the idea. "They're not ON a search and destroy mission."  
  
"It's search and retrieve." It was quite strange that their last motto was "Divide and Render." Now they've changed their plans.  
  
Matrix took out his Gun. "Well, they could try."  
  
AndrAIa wasn't quite finished yet. "Put Gun away, those are unarmed Guardians. Not Users or viruses. Remember what Bob said, there are better ways."  
  
In his impatience, he asked sarcastically, "Bob! Where's Bob and the portal now?"  
  
She retorted, "Well I don't think Bob's abandoned us, do you?" Clearly, she won that round. "So the portal's just late, it'll still arrive."  
  
"Yeah. But out there, we're in here."  
  
She then strategized her plan. "So, we have to go out there, take on the Guardians, hand to hand. We'll be ready to jump into the portal when it arrives. There's only seventy-eight of them, I've been counting." she winked.  
  
"Seventy-eight to two. and you don't want me to use Gun? Y'know something I don't?"  
  
"Look what I'm sitting on?" AndrAIa revealed an enormous crate and inside was an Exoskeleton. There was the same crate located in the back of the warehouse. They prepared themselves for the battle of their lives.  
  
  
Back at the Kits Sector, the Game ended with no nullification. Akari rushed inside the apartment where she found a weakened Guardian, Dot, and Hexadecimal with a new look. She wasn't wearing her brown skin, but rather white and gold. Even she was surprised of how much she's changed!  
  
Dot asked, "What happened to my father? The Null Cocoon?"  
  
Apparently the virus had no iota of what she was saying. "What...Null Cocoon?"  
  
"Is that why?" Akari wondered.  
  
She saw Bob struggle as he walked before he collapsed. "The portal..."  
  
Luckily Dot was there to catch him. She then ordered Hex to take Bob and make a portal while she goes into the War Room. The virus closed her eyes and used her powers, but to no avail.  
  
"Please, Hex. I know we have our differences, but I need you to do this." Dot said.  
  
"What's the matter?" Akari asked.  
  
"But I've just tried and I'm still here...and I can't fly. Dot...I've lost my powers. How do I get in there?" Hex queried.  
  
"Uh..." Akari looked around and saw Bob's car. It was painted blue and it was fully charged. "You could use that." she pointed to it.  
  
"I've...never driven before. But I've always driven you crazy!" Hex cackled but everyone, except Akari, were dead serious. Bob was fading fast and Hex was right on it. Her skills, though, were as bad as Dissidia Duodecim's plot. She could barely get the car out of the room...or the apartment altogether.  
  
"Geez, Hex, you do know how to drive us crazy..." Akari sighed in disgust. Clearly this wasn't the time to be fooling around.  
  
  
Game & Watch was still waiting for the two Sprites. Sure enough they emerged with the humongous Exoskeletons.  
  
"Hello, boys." AndrAIa challenged.  
  
The weirdest thing was that when a person moved his/her arms, the machine did it too as Matrix spoke, "If any one wants to surrender, now's the time."  
  
Just then, one of the Guardians took his helmet off, revealing light-blue skin and a short, blonde hairdo. Like all the others, he, too, was infected; he was also the leader of the foot soldiers and was the current Prime Guardian.  
  
"Turbo!" Matrix gasped in shock.  
  
He was oblivious of what's going to happen as he smiled while his eyes glazed.  
  
  
The ball over the Principal Office started to open as Bob's car soared to it. This was the portal generator and it was the only way to let Matrix and AndrAIa escape. The car almost fell as it stopped.  
  
"Okay, what should I do now?" Hex asked politely.  
  
Bob started to sit up but immediately jolted back as he started to fade again.  
  
"Not good. This is not good." she mumbled.  
  
  
The Guardians came onto the Skeletons like bugs on a web, but the Sprites shook them off with little effort. Matrix grabbed Turbo during the fray, and he was pissed to the teeth.  
  
"Traitor! You were supposed to help us!"  
  
In a calm, though strange tone, he replied, "But I am, son. It's time to stop fighting. You've been fighting all your life. Let The Word give the life you so likely deserve. Trust me..."  
  
  
At the Master Clock, Daemon and Daecon were watching the assault unfold. Everyone was getting thrown around and the super virus had to stop it. "Lock onto Turbo's icon. Send a Zoom Room before someone gets deleted."  
  
The infected army was closing on AndrAIa. Apparently, since Matrix had Turbo in his clutches, they wanted to back away.  
  
"Matrix! I could use some help here!" she shouted.  
  
After a few nanoseconds they gained up on Matrix, too. In fact, he was so busy that he didn't see a Zoom Room heading his way. But AndrAIa did and behind them, the portal appeared. Game & Watch couldn't take the chaos any longer, he was helpless against a numerous army, especially when they were ten times his size.  
  
He scampered to Matrix's Skeleton and almost instantly, AndrAIa pushed them through the opening just before the Zoom Room got her. Together, Matrix, Turbo, and Game & Watch fell back into Mainframe with a thud.  
  
"AndrAIa!" Matrix yelled as he held out a hand to catch her. But it was too late; the portal was gone. "No! AndrAIaaaaa!"  
  
The two-dimensional figure threw a tantrum and Akari ran up to the group to see what the problem was.  
  
"Matrix, you're alright. But where's-Turbo! What in the Net?!"  
  
She was outraged now that he has succumbed to the infection. She ordered a Binome fleet to escort everyone to the Principal Office. "And get that weak stuff outta here!" she said as they took Turbo to a prison cell. She looked closely and he didn't have Copland on him.  
  
"So your Key Tool ran away too, huh? Good riddance!" she scolded.  
  
Game & Watch walked up to her and tapped her leg. She looked down, picked him up, and hugged him. "Oh, Mr. Game & Watch! Thank goodness you're safe! I was so worried...and so was Master Hand."  
  
With his mouth open, he let out a ringing sound. He was very upset about something.  
  
"What happened? Is Samus still okay? Has she gathered all the Smashers? Cause we could use them more than ever."  
  
He nodded in approval, and let out another ringing sound.  
  
"Something you want to show me?"  
  
He took out a keypad and it showed the Master Clock. It was just as they feared; Daemon made her second catch and it WAS AndrAIa. In her Exoskeleton she tried to clobber Daemon with a single arm, but she spread out her infection with just a fingertip. Green energy consumed her and the machine shut down. She landed and groveled, "My Lady!"  
  
"Ohhhh man! This is horrible." Akari said in fright. Then she heard her say, "You've arrived...just in time."  
  
Then the whole room was covered in green energy as Daemon unleashed her infection in full force. The Net turned green, too, and so did the Systems as the Seeds began to burst. Those egg-shaped objects were used to spread the infection indirectly from closed Systems.  
  
"So that's what these objects were used for." she observed. "I've gotta call-"  
  
Game & Watch shook his head and pointed to his palm.  
  
"Master Hand? Are you sure?"  
  
He pointed to her cell snug at her side.  
  
"...Alright. I'll do it."  
  
She made the unthinkable call as Dot, Mouse, and Phong were monitoring the spread at the War Room.  
  
"What is she doing? She can't...It's impossible." Dot said as the pathways have turned green again. All her work suddenly just went down the drain.  
  
"It gets worse." Mouse said. "Some of the Systems we've just sealed have gone viral."  
  
"What?! But how?"  
  
"She must've had the power to do this all along. Why wait?" Phong asked.  
  
"Net 92%...infected." Mouse concluded as a small bar appeared, reviewing the status. Suddenly the spreading stopped. "It's over. She didn't get it all. There are still small ports of closed Systems that are clean."  
  
"Dot, what are we going to do?" Phong asked desperately. "Dot? Dot...? Dot!" But she just remained silent.  
  
  
The Master Hand sulked at his findings. It was as if he had suddenly grown powerless.  
  
"What's wrong, Master?" Samus asked, waiting to hear a response.  
  
"What ever it is, it doesn't look good." Luigi answered.  
  
"What should we do? Has Mainframe already been infected?" Fox queried.  
  
"No...But the pathways have been...There's nowhere to run now." the Guardian sad in despair.  
  
"But...we still can go, right?" Samus asked. "It's not too late. We can still fight!"  
  
"Yeah." Everyone started to mumble all at once.  
  
"No. We shouldn't..." Master Hand sighed. Everyone stopped as they listened to his words. "Do not approach Mainframe. The spread of Daemon's viral infection...is causing critical damage to the Net. It has already consumed 92% of it."  
  
Everyone started to panic and hope for a miracle, but they had none.  
  
"All of our defenses have failed. All anti-viruses and Key Tools are powerless. The infection is manipulating our Guardians. We cannot survive unless there's some way to survive the infection. Deletion and defragmentation may be possible." He stopped and sadly looked at his once faithful comrades. "Save your energy, save yourselves. Forgive me, I want to fight alongside you but...this war has already been lost. Avoid the System, Mainframe, at all costs." Then he slowly faded away. "Farewell, warriors..." After that, he was never seen again.  
  
All the compatriots have looked at each other with sorrowful eyes and their hopes gone. They then all looked at Samus for answers. All she did was cover her visor as she bowed her head.  
  
"So the whole Net has been infected?" Peach asked in shock.  
  
"No, he said that-a-92 percent has been infected." Mario reassured as he hugged an emotional princess.  
  
"But...we haven't started investigating yet." Marth said. "I can't turn my back on those poor civilians now. No! We must fight!"  
  
"I agree with you, Marth." Roy replied.  
  
"But Master Hand said 'no.' I think he doesn't want us to get involved because of what happened to everyone else...I'm afraid to go and disobey him." Kirby cried.  
  
Everyone started to mumble again as they reminisced their past failures. From the time when the Moon barely crashed on Termina, to the loss of a loved one in combat. They were all full of doubt and bitter sadness...except Falco. After he made a growl under his breath, he climbed to the top of the damaged tower, and declared in a stern tone. "What the hell is wrong with you guys? Get a hold on yourselves and show some backbone!"  
  
Everyone just looked at him with attentive, and some fearful, eyes.  
  
"This isn't the time to be sulking and remembering our...past mishaps. This is the time that we should fight back! We are Smashers, not mere tools of war." He then calmed down and spoke with a little sympathy, much to everyone's surprise. "Okay, so a couple things went wrong, and Daemon has already caught some victims, and infected most of the Guardian Collective. Big deal! We can still stop her before we all experience Doomsday, whether we obey her or not. Bahhh! We'll never surrender to the likes of her." Then he scratched his head in thought. "And I do wonder what she really looks like..."  
  
Fox was the first to stand up. "Falco's right! We can't give up now. We've got a whole universe to protect! It may not be like the Lylat System, but hell yeah it's worth of saving." Then he looked at his friends. "Don't remember the bad times, reminisce the good. Get yourselves back together...because we fight together."  
  
"Speaking of together I...think you need to look down." Young Link said.  
  
They did and all of their friends were cheering and whistling for them. From Mario's world, there were a lot of Yoshis and Toads, including a Toadete; Koopa the Quick; and Daisy who was cheering for Luigi. For DK, there was the entire Kong family, including Diddy Kong, and the animal buddies. From all the way in Hyrule, Saria was smiling and waving her arms in glee. Navi was with her, too, along with the Skull Kid, Tatl, and Tael. He wasn't quite the same without Majora's Mask. The other Sages, Darunia, Princess Ruto, Impa, Nabooru, and Rauru, were standing and grinning for their heroes. The Chozo were applauding for their warrior, Samus. Meta Knight flew into the crowd and immediately got Kirby's attention. Slippy, Peppy, General Pepper, and R.O.B. were also there, cheering for their top pilots. The Pokemon, Pikachu, Pichu, and Jigglypuff, were hollering for Mewtwo. And Mew was sitting happily in a distant tree. Paula, Jeff, and Poo were all waving at Ness. He waved back and his alien sidekick, Mr. Saturn, peeped as he appeared from under his cap. A legendary swordsman with dark blue hair stepped up and saluted them, he was Ike.  
  
"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle..." Falco exclaimed as he saw the size of the fans' gathering.  
  
"See, you guys? They _need_ us!" Fox said as he faced his comrades. As they looked, their faith was immediately restored.  
  
Samus stepped in front of them and the crowd quieted. "Thank you all for coming. We couldn't have planned an assault on Mainframe and Daemon without your support. You've all shown us...who and what we're fighting for. We fight for freedom, for peace and prosperity, and to make a difference in our lives. But most of all, we fight for all of you. Our friends, family, and loved ones, who have shown us the way when we were alone. Well...we're not. Not anymore. Because we've learned to fight with each other, rather than against each other. And it was on that day that we united as a whole, which is what we'll do for this upcoming war. We're facing a grave enemy, one we've heard but never seen. And she has infected and manipulated many of our neighboring peoples. And we are the last hope for triumph. We'll do it! We'll fight this war to the very end, with all our strength, wisdom, and courage. We'll fight..."  
  
She paused as she looked solemnly to everyone around her. She took a deep breath and said, "and we shall WIN this war, and surpass The Word!"  
  
Everyone below hollered as the fighters applauded for her declaration. Mario and the others walked up to their fearless leader and bowed. The audience silenced as General Pepper stepped in front. "Hey, everyone, tell them your strategy and your involvement in this Net War." he said to the spectators.  
  
For everyone's surprise, Pikachu spoke...in English. She cleared her throat and spoke to Mewtwo "As a great leader, when we had a Pokemon Trainer, you taught us to fight as one in times of crisis. So I'd like to make this proposition; you can use all the Pokemon you want amongst the battlefield. Chikorita, Charizard, Electrode, even the legendary Pokémon. In this war, we are all willing to help in any way we can." Pichu and Jigglypuff hollered in response.  
  
"Thank you." Mewtwo said. "I shall do my best in protecting you all from Daemon's plot. I won't let you down!" They cheered again.  
  
Saria, the young Sage of the Forest, stepped up. "Link, both child and adult, and our beloved princess, you shall always be an inspiration for us. We, the six Sages, will channel our powers to you. The future depends on all of you and your friends. Good luck to you all." she said to all the Smashers.  
  
The crowd roared once more, then Slippy came near. "Hey, guys. Just to let you know that our technology and weaponry are both ready. You can make easy access whenever you feel the need. But do not let Daemon and her cronies use them against you. Fox and Falco, be careful and god speed." He did a single finger salute and the crowd applauded.  
  
"Don't forget us to use as protection." The Toads said in unison to Peach. She blushed and the crowd started to laugh.  
  
"Marth, Roy, everyone, fight. Fight with all your might. And do not let the super virus control you. We make our own destiny, not hers." Ike declared.  
  
"Here, here!" everyone replied.  
  
Just then Samus got a call from Akari in Mainframe. "Samus, it's me. I got Mr. Game & Watch, and Daemon just infected AndrAIa. I should warn you she is a tough Sprite to mess around with. Oh, and almost the entire Net has been infected, and Turbo is in custody. Please, Samus, be careful."  
  
She then was typing on a keypad and a few images of the Desert Port System came up. "I'm downloading the information you need to get a head start. Samus, everyone...take care of yourselves."  
  
The signal went dead and after a few nanos, the bounty hunter declared, "My comrades...It's time. We must go to Mainframe and confront Daemon there." She then faced the audience. "Everybody NOT going to Mainframe had better get off! This is a fight of the century, no for the millennium! Thank you all for your support. And may The User bless you all."  
  
"And to never give up, and trust your instincts." Peppy added. Everybody went silent until Samus said farewell.  
  
Everyone went inside their corresponding vehicles, except Falcon. Clearly his machine couldn't travel in cyberspace, so he used a remote control to summon his own ship, the Falcon Flyer. It was similar to the Blue Falcon but its body was more sleek and twice as big. The aircraft hovered over them and beamed them up from underneath. Falcon emerged in the cockpit and followed his comrades. One by one, they went inside the portal. Samus went first with most of the Smashers inside. Fox and Falco used their Arwings, Young Link was in the leader's plane. Kirby rode on his Warp Star, and Falcon used his Falcon Flyer while Ness rode shotgun.  
  
It was off to Mainframe, and the real battle was about to begin!  
  
 **A/N: Well, that marks the end of Cross Nodes, or Roads. After another chapter, the third episode will commence. I hate the title of that episode because it's a song that involves Tina's broken relationship with Ike. Plus I watched the film of the same name, so it's really bad either way. That's why I'm not mentioning the episode, although in the next chapter it would describe The Episode with No Name. I'd rather call it the Revelation of Daemon, or the Guardians' Secret.  
  
Also since SSBM and Daemon Rising were made back in 2001, Krystal and other late characters won't be in the story. I'm just trying to make it time relevant. I greatly apologize for that. Stay tuned for the next chapter and as always R&R please.  
  
By the way, I changed the Character cast a bit. Instead of Lucas, who was from Mother 3 which was released in 2006, I replaced him with three others; Jeff, Poo, and Paulina, since I'm sticking to the games made in 2001. What was I thinking!?**


	7. What is Love Good For? Absolutely Nothing!

**A/N: After several years in hiatus, the crossover for ReBoot and Super Smash Bros. Melee is finally continuing. I'm so sincerely sorry it took so long... I just lost a lot of inspiration and I had other projects to work on. Not to mention, the fight scenes were the turnoffs for continuing to write this.  
  
Now would be the third episode in Daemon Rising, "What's Love Got to Do with It?" I know the reference, and I for one absolutely despise it! In the movie of the same title that revolved around the top song from Tina Turner was just beyond atrocious, even though it was a biopic for her. Damn you, Laurence!! The title itself is actually a rebuttal to this.  
  
Anyway, the Smashers shall prepare themselves for war after Akari explains to her new recruits about who Daemon is, and what she's capable of.**  
  
After the recruitment of the Smashers, as well as an encouraging rally from their fellow comrades, Samus and her team were travelling through cyberspace to reach their destination, Mainframe. The bounty hunter was uncertain if she could find a way to break through the Firewall Mouse laid over the System. Nevertheless, her mission was clear as she would stand by and defend it overhead while facing off any of Daemon's infected cronies, and to protect her dear friends, Bob and Akari, in the process.  
  
Her ship was accompanied by two Arwings each piloted by Fox and Falco, the Falcon Flyer which contained Captain Douglas Falcon and Ness, Mewtwo soaring in his blue energy protecting himself from degradation, and the Warp Star Kirby was riding.  
  
Recently, they received a download from Akari via the Principal Office. Because it was exported from the enclosed System, they were able to retrieve the data they needed. She gave them a rip from one of the DVDs in the Archives which gave them a backstory on how Marill and Matrix found out about their greatest adversary from the Prime Guardian, Turbo, at a saloon in the Desert Port System. She also presented her allies a rundown on all the Mainframe warriors, while the rogue leader was summarizing them; just in case if they should ever get caught by the super virus herself. So far, there were only the obnoxious Mike the TV, and the Game Sprite, AndrAIa. They were certain that the more minor ones like Little Matrix, Hack and Slash, and even Phong would also be a potential threat.  
  
Everybody's channels were open as they traded the info and made some subjective plans on how they were going to deal with each of their enemies. However, from Game & Watch's stakeouts at the Super Computer, which was constantly being monitored, they were unsure how they would go against Daecon and the Guardian Sentries; there wasn't much input about them, not even from the 2-Dimensional Sprite's gizmo.  
  
Later, an alarm went off, signaling the spaceship there was a fleet in their way. They were attacked by some Guardian battleships!  
  
"Alright, gang! Let's give them everything we got!" Samus cried. Her ship took the lead and fired its weaponry onto the enemy squadron.  
  
The other Smashers broke formation and engaged in the onslaught. Mewtwo used his Psychic energy as a barrier to protect them from the warheads and bullets, then as he spread his arms, he released his telekinesis onto each of the opposing crafts. The Arwings went in with their lasers and charge shots; Samus advised them not to use their nova bombs, as they'd cause hefty damage to their outer hulls, resulting in possible deletion. Kirby rode on his Warp Star to distract the Guardians, then the puffball decided to mimic the Genetic Pokémon's abilities. He nodded in assent and they both fired their Shadow Balls into the fray. Finally, there was the Falcon Flyer as it landed its own bullets.  
  
With their exceptional efforts, each of the ships were shot down. The vehicles, the Star, and Mewtwo received minimal damage and injury. But, their war was just beginning.  
  
The once cerulean sky was gradually turning into a vile green color, and the aura was closing in on them! Everyone knew it was the super virus' infection about to assimilate them all! Samus activated an emergency call and ordered, "Split up and regroup at Mainframe. Don't let the infection touch you!"  
  
Kirby cowered beneath the bounty hunter's spaceship. Captain Falcon's vessel boosted away, and the Arwings accelerated just as the female did.  
  
Falcon and Ness ended up at a different System, it had a cyan sky with a shining metropolis floating over the Energy Sea. "We'd better hurry and escape here." The F-Zero racer said to his passenger.  
  
"Oh yeah, we should." the young prodigy saw the spreading loom closer and closer. The planet began to ripple upon entry and little did the duo knew that they flew into the Super Computer!  
  
  
Meanwhile, Akari and Mr. Game & Watch observed Turbo being locked in a jail cell at the brig. Two Binomes in army uniforms kept on patting their batons, awaiting for him to cunningly escape; holding a Prime Guardian would not be easy.  
  
"There. That should hold ya!" Mouse retorted. Although she was right, Akari doubted that it could contain the black stick figure since he was so thin. He mocked him simply just by ringing his bell in his face.  
  
"For awhile, yes." he said, never making a flinch. He couldn't stop smiling; it was very eerie, even for the two women.  
  
"I hate the way you keep smiling at us." the hacker said.  
  
"So do I." the former Trainer added.  
  
"I have heard The Word. I am at peace. Ray has heard The Word too, Mouse."  
  
"What?!" Akari had a very bad feeling it'd come to this. Trying to trick the hacker, so she could get infected and lower Mainframe's defenses.  
  
"What did you say?!" she asked angrily.  
  
"The Surfer, he waits for you with My Lady. All you have to do is drop the Firewall and he will fly into your arms."  
  
"Can it, Turbo!" They heard a voice in the distance. Dot marched in, Bob was right beside her.  
  
"Daemon's got Ray. And AndrAIa." Mouse stated, her voice growing with more irritation.  
  
"Mouse, I know." the Command.com spoke sympathetically. But it only made her mood even worse.  
  
"We've got to do something!"  
  
"Mouse, we need to talk to Turbo now."  
  
"Talking ain't gonna get any of our friends back!" The hacker stormed out. Akari couldn't agree more at this point. She was growing more and more nervous as she dreaded that the amount of victims would keep climbing. Still, she managed to keep her cool; Samus depended on her.  
  
"Mouse!" Bob called out, though Dot stopped him.  
  
"Let her go, Bob. We'll deal with it later."  
  
Turbo was ecstatic as ever before. That made Akari and Mr. Game & Watch cringe. "Bob? It's true. You are one with your Key Tool. You are My Lady's Messenger!"  
  
"Messenger?" he asked skeptically.  
  
Turbo stepped closer and laid a hand on one of the bars. His enthusiasm became more evident. "You were right, Bob. There are benign viruses, viruses that are good! This proves all of your theories."  
  
"Theories? Of what? That viruses can't be deleted?!" Akari was pissed; she always hated that fact, which was why she could relate to Matrix, even for that one trait alone.  
  
"He is secure, isn't he?" Dot questioned the commander Binome, wondering of the prisoner's sanity. "Where is his Key Tool?"  
  
"Copland. His Key Tool is called Copland." Bob clarified.  
  
"Ma'am, Mouse gave him a thorough search, and we do mean thorough." The guys didn't want to know what the bot meant. "He didn't have a Copland."  
  
"That's impossible. When a Key Tool joins with a Guardian, I, we exchange code. Copland must be with him, or Turbo is incomplete."  
  
"Bob, you are the only complete Guardian." the inmate emphasized. "You are the Messenger. Once My Lady has you, everyone will hear The Word."  
  
This made both Dot and Akari furious. They both gave him expressions of disgust.  
  
Miss Matrix crossed her arms. "Well, I've heard quite enough." She focused to Bob, "Do it!"  
  
His gold and black icon started to glow. Akari and Game & Watch couldn't believe what was happening! His chest shot out a volley of energy, forcing Turbo toward the back wall. His body looked like it was being electrocuted.  
  
"Argh, no! My Lady! The WORD!" Turbo resisted as much as possible. Then, Game & Watch fitted between the bars and made a few slaps across his face, until the cure was no more. Turbo's body fell with a thud as Game & Watch headed out.  
  
Bob began to fade more and he sank to the floor. Dot, Akari, and the Smasher surrounded him.  
  
"You okay?" his close friend asked.  
  
He stood up with little effort, "Yeah, is he cured?"  
  
"Not...entirely. But I can fight her control now." They saw Turbo's face which had far less of those creepy, toxic lines. He only had little traces of it, and on his icon. This was almost the same fashion when Matrix and Marill first met him, although Akari and Game & Watch had their doubts.  
  
"Turbo, what is Daemon's function?" Bob asked.  
  
"Ergh, to bring unity to the entire Net."  
  
"Unity?"  
  
"Why is Bob Dameon's Messenger?" Dot queried.  
  
"As Daemon's infection grew out, the Key Tools left us. Bob is now the only one to create portals"  
  
"I knew it..." Akari sighed and shook her head.  
  
Dot spoke up, "No, she can't use the Guardians to get to the closed or offline Systems, Bob. She needs you to complete her function."  
  
Turbo was less confident. "Then, she'll get you. Nothing can stop her."  
  
"No, I wouldn't bet on that."  
  
Akari felt her larynx was about to burst. There was a part of her that wanted to unveil her and Samus' plan. It took much of her composure to hold back the urge to speak and spoil everything. As the duo left, she and the black Sprite were treading behind them.  
  
  
Elsewhere, the remainders of the Guardian Collective were attempting to break the seal over Mainframe. They were lucky they hadn't met their demise just yet.  
  
"Go to Level 7. Try 8!" A bald male Guardian said in a gruff tone, his neck glowing with those hideous marks. He was just as desperate as every code they used was futile against the Firewall. Eight out of the twenty sections were full, each denying access as they showed Mouse's icon instead of a numeral. A green beam from the Firewall Disruptor was shooting toward it, and there was still no luck.  
  
Just then, the former Prime Guardian appeared in a hologram. "Daecon!"  
  
"You should've hacked into that System seconds ago." he scolded.  
  
"We're already at Level 8, Daecon. We've never needed to pass 3 before this. There's no way through." the nameless Guardian said, hopeless.  
  
"That is not good enough. Our Lady has a schedule to keep. I cannot accept failure!" The image disappeared, leaving Baldy in despair.  
  
  
Akari alerted Samus and her teammates on Turbo's condition and the fact that Bob could heal the infected, but only partially. The Guardian's code was the only way to save those who were obsessed with The Word.  
  
Her friend sighed, "The Guardian can only do so much... But, we're on our way to Mainframe now. And the infection is on our six. We've already lost the Falcon Flyer. I'm afraid of what's becoming of them."  
  
"Oh no. I hope Ness and Falcon'll be alright. Even I'm not sure why Bob couldn't heal Turbo. It won't be long before Daemon's control would be prominent again. I'll have Game & Watch spy on him for the moment. Just be careful, guys."  
  
"You, too. Samus out." She ended the transition on Akari's tablet.  
  
  
As Daecon ended the disapproving report, he saw through some stained glass windows a strange starship land. Ness and Falcon arrived outside the Tower and the Flyer lowered the hatch. He grabbed his staff with a snort and walked out, using it like a cane.  
  
The Falcon Flyer unleashed the Blue Falcon. The elusive pilot drove it through one of the skinny bridges to the Tower. "You see that, Ness? That's where we need to go." He figured their best chance to win would take control of the functions within the Super Computer.  
  
Ness worried, "What if Daemon, Mike, or AndrAIa should find us?"  
  
Falcon suggested, "Then we'll have to escape. I'm quite confident the Blue Falcon will be able to avoid the infection. As it can go up to 2000 kilometers an hour," he beamed.  
  
"Whoa..." The boy had a loss for words.  
  
As they were nearing the Central Chamber, Falcon and Ness were ambushed by a very lethal group. They at first thought they were ninjas of sorts as they emerged from the shadows. They met the Guardian Sentries whom were wearing silvery masks; their soul-piercing white eyes gave them a little scare. They also donned on dark, blue robes, and wielded longswords as they confronted the intruders.  
  
They hopped out of the cockpit. Falcon made a fighting pose while Ness drew out his baseball bat. "Bring it on!" he said. They prepared for battle.  
  
Some of the Sentries ran toward Falcon and Ness from both sides. The boy swapped them with hard hits from his bat, which caused just a couple Sentries to fly back. They were light but resilient, and their blades kept slashing against him. He also used his yo-yo for sweeping the ground and the air. As they formed into clusters, Ness used a special attack known as the PK Blast, a small explosion of energy from his own mind. This stunned some of the Sentries as they got blinded by the light, while others had made contact, sending them back a few inches. Ness also conjured the PK Fire to burn his enemies for a short while; this was perfect for his bat as he continually whacked them after being burned. It was also good for Falcon to land a hit for his charging Falcon Punch as well. Ness even made some sparks from his head after he grabbed and tossed the Sentries, even after he jumped. Although the brainiac had to be careful as he became vulnerable while using his mental skills. Clearly, he was a person with high intellect, and not much of a brawler like the captain.  
  
Falcon was more balanced than his partner, with the only glaring issue of making his signature mark. Other than that, his moves were swift and crisp, much like how his own machine operated. His normal punches and kicks were quick and on target, plus he was very agile avoiding their melee attacks. His Falcon Kick was a decent sweeper on the ground, and the Sentries never escaped into the air thanks to his fast and lethal Falcon Kiss.  
  
Despite their advantages, they had some trouble. Ness couldn't use his Psi Magnet since there was no friendly fire to convert into energy. Plus, there were no items around and they were just stuck in an open battlefield. Both Ness and Falcon had to be conservative as there were little to no chances on recovering. This was like an endurance test to them, rather than just blowing the Sentries away. They actually did; some soared into space while others had their bodies splattered toward the Tower's exterior.  
  
With their fascinating teamwork, Ness and Falcon cleared the way. The two high-fived each other, and the victory was interrupted by a loud landing that was enough to shake the ground. The tall Guardian, Daecon, made a surprise right from above them! They saw him charge up his staff, the eye glowed and fired a plasma beam straight toward them. Ness intervened and activated the Magnet; the lethal energy instantly churned into health as it restored the boy's vitality. It made Daecon vulnerable to another Falcon Punch. That made his right arm very sore as he held it with agony.  
  
"You...You will pay for that!" he hissed. The duo were ready for anything. "You seem to be very fine warriors. It'd be a shame to have you deleted. How about you join me...in The Word."  
  
Ness and Falcon looked at him quizzically. Daecon tapped his staff on the ground, and green streaks of energy were heading their way.  
  
"Oh no! RUN!" The bounty hunter immediately picked up the kid, and he ran straight toward his racer. He tossed Ness into the backseat and he leapt into the cockpit, fired up the engines, and sped away at the speed of sound!  
  
It avoided many obstacles and energy shots from Daecon's staff, until the alarm indicated the infection was just mere inches away!  
  
Falcon had no choice. He steered the machine off the ledge, crashed through a wall, and they plummeted toward the Energy Sea. Ness screamed for mercy, but the bounty hunter summoned his ship. He tapped on his controls feverishly and then pressed a button on his helmet. "Come on!"  
  
He snapped a finger and his cruiser airlifted the Blue Falcon back into the main deck. It was on auto-pilot and it followed the signal through the cosmos, exiting the System and leaving the infection behind.  
  
Daecon just looked up somberly, letting his so-called servants away. By the time the Flyer broke through, the ship shook. Thankfully the duo weren't infected as it made contact.  
  
Meanwhile, Daemon and AndrAIa were completely oblivious to the chaos outside. The super virus was on her throne, listening to the Game Sprite as she recounted the events from her childhood. "You should've seen him. On our first day together, he was so brave. He said he was a Guardian, showing off, trying to impress the girl. I never believed him, of course, but I took in everything he said. And then I realized...I was in love. It was love at first sight."  
  
"Yes, I can understand love. But I cannot go against my code." Daemon replied.  
  
Then, they heard some tapping heading toward them. It was Daecon and he bowed down in defeat. "My Lady..."  
  
"Daecon, do you love me?"  
  
"Why, of course, My Lady. We all love you. You are The Word."  
  
"That's not the same thing." AndrAIa said.  
  
He rose up. "I have bad news, My Lady. We cannot break the encryption codes on the Firewall that block our paths to Mainframe."  
  
"That'll be Mouse. She's very good."  
  
"This is a hacker that works for them?"  
  
"And the virus. Moreover, there were two fighters, a racer and a kid with psychic powers, that defeated all our Guardian Sentries, and escaped from infection."  
  
Daemon walked closer to Daecon. "Now we need our Messenger. How did that turn out?"  
  
He sulked, "I have...failed you, My Lady."  
  
She smiled, laid a hand on his right shoulder. "Cron 101."  
  
Daecon lowered his head, he closed his eyes, and counted down,"101, 100, 11, 10, 01..." He paused for a nanosecond, then his eyes were as wide as computer discs. "0..!"  
  
His body dissipated as he decompiled, and the green, infected essence still remained. The staff collapsed onto the floor, and Daemon raised a hand to absorb Daecon into her. This filled her with more power and an intriguing ounce of energy.  
  
She walked back to her perch showing no remorse after vaporizing the loyal general of her Guardian Army. She sat down and AndrAIa was just speechless until she asked, "Please...tell me what it's like to be in love." Her associate was more than happy to tell her everything.  
  
  
"I've heard from Captain Falcon he and Ness escaped the Super Computer. That was a close call." Samus contacted Akari.  
  
"I'm sure it was. Falcon and his machine are super fast. I'm glad they're safe."  
  
"For now. But I have some bad news: I lost the two Arwings. Fox, Young Link, and Falco are on their own now."  
  
Akari made a face palm. "Oh, great."  
  
Suddenly, the Firewall over Mainframe was temporarily online. Mouse and Matrix soared through the tear in her aircraft. While the hole was open, it was just enough time for Fox's Arwing to approach it. The leader was startled, but he was thankful they didn't notice him and his partner. Apparently, they had some other agenda and never cared for their arrival. He activated the cloaking device his amphibian pal, Slippy, invented, and he steered his ship toward the Kits Sector.  
  
Samus told Akari, "Mainframe is online again, but Mouse and Matrix have exited the System. I'm afraid she has all the encryption codes to reveal its address. If she gets infected, she would..." she stopped in midsentence.  
  
"Yeah. I know. I'm sure Matrix will get infected as well. He hates viruses, yes, but he could be too arrogant to fight Daemon. After all, she's a super virus; she could easily surpass him."  
  
"Wait a nano! I see something going in. It's Fox."  
  
"Fox? What's he doing here?" Akari paused for a few nanoseconds. "I'm going after them, they may need help."  
  
"Perhaps you're right. But, I've just found out something."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Have you known about Bob? About when he merged with Glitch?"  
  
"Yeah. It was the only way to surpass Mouse's Web Creature defenses so we could get to Mainframe."  
  
"Exactly. Do you remember Glitch getting damaged?"  
  
"Yeah, it was crushed by Megabyte before Bob was shot into the Web."  
  
"I believe that's why he's growing so weak all the time. He joined with a defective Key Tool. It wasn't fully-functional at the time. The more he uses his Glitch powers, the more chances he'll get a total fragmentation."  
  
"Meaning?"  
  
"He could delete himself completely if he uses too much."  
  
Akari was shocked, and Samus was bewildered. It's actually possible Bob could die after drawing too much off of his newfound abilities. They needed to find another way to cure the infected in such large quantities. Still, Akari went to check on Fox.  
  
  
Meanwhile, Matrix entered the Clock Tower and loaded his pistol to such deadly stats. "Gun, Land Line." His left eye shifted and the red target glowed. "Targeting. High ex." The mark met her forehead. As the lights turned on, it was only... "AndrAIa!"  
  
"Hi, lover." she was smiling, sitting on Daemon's throne. They rushed over and made a short embrace, Matrix disregarded the deep infections she had. "I missed you."  
  
"I'll never leave you again. Never." he said as they parted.  
  
"There's someone you got to meet."  
  
"We have to get out of here." Matrix laid a firm hand on her shoulder, but she never budged.  
  
"My Lady?"  
  
It was her, up against the ceiling! "'Ello, Matrix! I heard so much about you."  
  
Matrix didn't waste anytime! He shot his Gun just before AndrAIa intervened. The bullet actually had the enemy's name engraved on it, which was something soldiers did in their pastime. Unfortunately, as it gained on her, the super virus slowed then stopped it in its tracks! Taking control over the Master Clock was a huge advantage for her; it was super effective! She then made the bullet detonate, then she casually absorbed the explosion and just...blew the bullet into dust.  
  
"Your weapons are useless here." she remarked.  
  
Daemon then descended gently, and she was unaffected by Mouse who leapt from the shadows and made her Masamune shatter at the back of her neck. Both she and Matrix looked agog, and Daemon unleashed her fury, making the blade and Gun drop. In a few nanos, they succumbed to her lust. Matrix smiled at her as the markings glowed on his forehead.  
  
"My Lady..."  
  
"Welcome home, lover." AndrAIa replied.  
  
"Now, we are as one and in love. And are you?" the super virus faced Mouse whom she apologized.  
  
"My Lady, I am so sorry. Forgive me."  
  
Just then, an old buddy emerged, wearing the same dazzling outfit. "Matrix, Mouse! H-hey, good to see ya! Oh, glorious, we are reunited, and it feels so good..."  
  
"Mouse, is that you?"  
  
"Yes, My Lady."  
  
"Your encryption codes are beautiful. Works of art." the virus complimented, making her infection grow deeper into her code.  
  
Unexpectedly, Game & Watch's camera was picking up the whole thing and Samus was on the receiving end, the bitter end, of the stick. She sulked at the results. On top of that, the Net's infection was spreading more rapidly, and Mainframe would soon be the next target.  
  
  
Back at the brig, Game & Watch anxiously listened into Turbo's begs, "You have to find a way to destroy her."  
  
Bob resisted, "You out of all Sprites know I can't do that."  
  
The Smasher glanced and sneered at him, though he couldn't see it.  
  
"Bob, this isn't the time for your theories. This isn't a small, sealed System we're talking about. It's the entire Net! Face it, Mainframe was an experiment that didn't work."  
  
"Didn't work? Have you seen Hexadecimal? She's cured."  
  
"And Megabyte?"  
  
"I contained him, and I find the right time to reprogram him. You don't believe me he could turn."   
  
Turbo let out a sarcastic laugh. "You haven't really changed, have you? After what his genesis did to Mainframe's Twin City? After what he did to your partner?!"  
  
 _This caused Bob to have a flashback when he was still just a Cadet in the Super Computer. He had a partner named Dixon, a Sprite with hot pink hair in a ponytail, dying on the floor. She was Glitch's original owner, but even the sentient Key Tool was certain she wouldn't last. Bob kept on calling for help, but she was deleted within a few nanos. Glitch immediately attached itself to Bob and uploaded the codes to him. But there was one agenda on his mind, "Glitch, System Scan. Track and lock on Killabyte!"  
  
It was a virus that was born from an explosion due to Welman's failed attempt to search and link to another System, to prove his theory that Mainframe isn't the only one floating freely in cyberspace. The experiment gone wrong, causing the split of Killabyte, turned Gigabyte, then into both Hexadecimal and Megabyte. That was when the Twin City was obliterated, and Dot and Enzo were caught in the shockwaves. And that was how Lost Angles and all those Nulls came to be.  
  
Glitch's scans led Bob to Mainframe, and that's where he stayed ever since. There was very little he could do, except to mend the numerous Tears. From then on, he made his vow as he was promoted to Guardian, and to protect his new home.  
  
_"I can't believe so much ahs changed since then." Bob said back in the present.  
  
"The Net has grown exponentially, it's becoming more impossible to police." Turbo said. "In a strange way, Daemon was right."  
  
"What?"  
  
"She's trying to bring order to chaos. Now, isn't that our prime function?"  
  
"She wants unity. One voice, one way. The Net is supposed to be varied, diverse."  
  
"Maybe it's too diverse."  
  
"That's the infection talking. You have to fight it!" Bob grew more concerned for his mentor and friend. As did Game & Watch; perhaps Akari's worries, and Samus', have been justified.  
  
"Bob, ergh. Why didn't you cure me? Why?!"  
  
Apparently, Guardian 452 was also just as nervous as they were. Little did he know that the real fight was about to begin with Daemon and Samus' candidates on the way.  
  
Mainframe was about to be the ultimate battlefield for the fate of the entire Net!  
  
 **A/N: Isn't it strange that Captain Falcon shows a blaster on his belt, yet we never see him use it in F-Zero or Smash Bros? Why the hell was it here then?  
  
The way he summoned the Falcon Flyer was a reference to the Subspace Emissary in Brawl.  
  
I could also see the battle play out like a Multi-Man Melee when Ness and Falcon fight against the Sentries. I think I'll use "Paper Engine (Outer Space)" for the battle. I tried looking for a good battle theme from Earthbound, but they sounded all too subtle; even though I'm kind of breaking the time-relevance rule 'cause that song was made AFTER 2001. But I guess it won't hurt. Also, the SSBM version of the Mach Rider theme would be perfect for Ness and Falcon's escape; I came up with that years back. And the evacuation itself could be similar to cruising through the Big Blue course, dodging Daecon's moves from the side and the rear, like Lugia's Aeroblast. The victory theme from F-Zero X is decent when the Falcon Flyer picks up our heroes. And the Prologue theme from Super Metroid would be heard as Akari was making her last talk with Samus. Other than those, I don't think there's anything too significant.  
**  
 **For the longest time I wondered how the Smashers even knew Akari. I knew them from the original and Melee, as well as some of their own games. I can't be sure exactly how they were able to know her personally; however, I could picture her Pokémon being involved in the tourneys such as Pikachu and Mewtwo, as well as the random Pokémon like Chikorita, Charizard, Marill, Weezing, Scizor, etc. When the war starts, there will be some exceptions.  
  
Oh, here's the link to the story Akari was in as she was explaining about the Guardians, ['](http://fav.me/dalthn8)The Guardians' Secret  
  
Several years back, my ideas for each opponent for the Smashers has always been on a constant debate. I even kept remembering fragments for each of the fights, especially with Falcon and Ness vs. Daecon and the Guardian Sentries; it's quite an unlikely pairing. I wanted to set up the brawl as sort of a lightweight match, like the ones with the Wire Frame Models. And because it was inside the Super Computer, of course it'd be easier to obtain items later on.  
  
So, Episode 4 in Daemon Rising has come to a close. The _real_ fun will soon begin...**


	8. The Word Wins Over

**Disclaimer: I do not own Reboot, nor SSBM. They belong to their rightful owners. Especially the Incoming Game that's coming up, which is based on FFVII.  
  
WARNING! This chapter may contain some character bashing. Reader's discretion is advised.  
  
A/N: I've been waiting for this for over a decade now. This is the Net War I've been longing to make, Daemon's cronies against the Smashers! There will be some building up along the way, though, so let's dive into this thing.**  
  
The story begins when Samus sent Dot a message to her in the War Room. She was monitoring the Net and her partner, Specky, was growing more desperate.  
  
"Dot, are you there?"  
  
She heard it from the motherboard and she pressed a button, putting it on speaker. "Yes, Samus. We hadn't heard from you in seconds. What's wrong?"  
  
"I just received word from my colleague, Mr Game & Watch. He's been observing over the Super Computer these past cycles, and we just witnessed two catches for the price of one."  
  
"Oh, no... You don't mean--"  
  
"Yes. Both Matrix and Mouse have been infected. And worse still, is that they, Daemon, AndrAIa, and Mike are on their way to Mainframe. We're heading there, too, but I'm afraid they may get there first. We don't want to be too close to the Guardian Army."  
  
"We?"  
  
"I have some more of my allies aboard my ship, Dot. We're arriving to aid all of you when the time comes. I'm sure this would be a cakewalk for Mouse since she made the Firewall in the first place."  
  
"Just as I suspected." she said. "Hurry, Samus. I'll see what I can do from here."  
  
"Good luck, Dot. And report to Bob the same. Samus, out."  
  
In the meantime, the bounty hunter's suspicions were true. Matrix, Mouse, AndrAIa, and Mike were with Daemon, leading the squad to the soon-to-be-powerless System, grinning all the way. She saw the Firewall, the small, sealed puncture, attached to Mainframe. Then looked over at Mouse. She was quite confident she could easily break through.  
  
Specky and Dot kept trying desperately to make an alternative code, a second Firewall, to stall the hacker.  
  
"It's no good. Every encryption code is too complicated."  
  
"We've got to keep trying. If..." Dot stopped and looked at the onscreen display of the Net; about 98% have already been infected. "WHEN Mouse gets here, we're completely defenseless! She knows the access codes, we have to change it!"  
  
"B-b-but... But it's impossible!" the engineer Binome cried.  
  
"No! There has to be something we can do."  
  
  
Outside of the tense atmosphere in the Principal Office, Enzo spoke to Akari about the partial restoration of his long lost father. He was anxious for her to see his dad. He led her to him and she watched the little Sprite play catch with a bundle of Nulls that shaped a skinny, colorful, bipedal figure. The green one, formerly known as Megabyte's pet, Nibbles, was the head of that strange creature. The kid once told her that Hex was able to compile him. She thought she lost her powers, but ever since she was inside the Egyptian Tomb Game, she was only able to manipulate Nulls telepathically. She actually thanked Dot for her father giving birth to her, from that explosion that destroyed the Twin City. Akari couldn't be more pleased.  
  
"See if you can catch my fastball!" the kid challenged.  
  
He threw it as furiously as possible, but Welman caught it seamlessly with his right hand made out of a yellow Null. His arm elongated as it reached for it, almost like Reed Richard's, only it was made by the miniature energy suckers.  
  
"You'll have to do better than that!" he said.  
  
"Alphanumeric!" The kid was just as astonished as Akari was. And she grew curious on the ongoing construction beside them.  
  
"Hey, what's that over there?" she asked, pointing to a crane that was attaching a mechanical half to the other.  
  
"That is a Gate Way, Akari." Welman explained. "It's portal will lead to various Systems. We must make sure it works properly so the citizens would evacuate once the super virus accesses here."  
  
"Huh. I see." She should've known since she saw one inside the Silicon Tor. Megabyte captured Enzo in his experiment to make sure it led to the Super Computer like he desired. She was taking a short period of mourning and the Dratini line and Mewtwo's Charizard were on the pursuit after Electrode was deleted a cycle prior.  
  
Just then, the door ascended and out popped Phong. Welman threw the baseball back and gave a time-out as he spoke to him.  
  
“How is Enzo taking your transformation?”  
  
“Well..?” he was too embarrassed for words.  
  
“Hi, Phong! Dad’s a Null Monster now, it’s so cool! He can change shape and things. Hey, there’s Frisket!” he ran over to him.  
  
“Quite well, actually.”  
  
Suddenly, there was a rumble in the sky.  
  
“Now what?” the wise one worried.  
  
Several CPUs soared into the goldenrod sky, attaching sensors which activated another cover over the existing Firewall.  
  
“A second Firewall. That should slow Mouse down. Clever girl.” Phong said. Akari couldn't agree more.  
  
“Who? Dot?” Welman asked.  
  
“You should be very proud of her.”  
  
“I am, and Enzo. He’s a fine boy. He’s grown so much.”  
  
“Ah...well, there’s something you should know--about Enzo, or... Or should I say Matrix.”  
  
Akari stood up. “Ok, I’m out. Nice to meet you, Welman.”  
  
“You too, Akari.”  
  
She gave him a wave and she met Enzo frolicking with Frisket. Then she got an urgent call on her tablet; it was Samus.  
  
“Akari! We got a problem! Daemon is breaking through!”  
  
“Figures. How far are you guys?”  
  
“We should be about a light year away. We had to take a slight detour into another System to escape the infection’s spreading. We’ll be on our way very shortly.”  
  
“Hurry, Samus!”  
  
And just like that, the Firewall that Dot put her code into have already been destroyed. Mouse succeeded and Akari was scared as ever. Game & Watch, who waddled to her side, was also as frightened; although no one could see his emotions, he kept letting out some noisy beeps. He became silent again as he saw the large hover vehicle pull up.  
  
  
Meanwhile, Samus and the Smashers approached the fleet after going into warp drive. They arrived at their destination at last, with Daemon and her minions obscuring their path.  
  
"There it is. Mainframe." she pointed out the System with the light-blue Energy Sea that had a full-blown city floating above it. She knew from the get-go there was no turning back.  
  
Falco and Kirby offered to distract the remaining Guardians while she and her crew would take on the super virus. But Marth and Roy volunteered to anxiously fight them back; Roy himself said his blood's boiling and Marth couldn't wait to show off his prowess to prove he's not so inferior compared to Link.  
  
She accepted but only if the Hero of Time would have a chance to go with them. Marth's heart sank; he did NOT like the sound of the fact he'd be working alongside his bitter rival.  
  
"You'd better behave yourselves, you two. Or else you'll wind up being deleted and spend eternity in loathing. Fight well beside each other, not against each other."  
  
That made the pompous Hylian and the nerve-wrecked blue hair hesitate.  
  
She then ordered a transport to Falco’s ship, while he takes them to the System they were just in, the Desert Port.  
  
“Kirby! You’re staying with me. We need you for this fight.” The puffball nodded.  
  
Falco was ready as soon as the teleportation was successful. He shot out a nova bomb toward the infected fleet. There was a large, loud blast, causing the army to look up and see a few cruisers descend sharply. The ace pilot soared in and made a few maneuvers amongst the battleships.  
  
Mouse drew out her katana and Matrix loaded Gun. But AndrAIa said, “No, Sparky. We have The Word to carry out once Mouse hacks into Mainframe. The Guardians can take care of him, right?”  
  
"Go after the bird, and make him hear The Word." Daemon commanded in her serene voice. They automatically obliged.  
  
“It’s working! You’re all clear, Samus!”  
  
“Stay frosty, boys.”  
  
Falco saluted, and the Guardians gave chase.  
  
  
Meanwhile, Bob’s car landed near the construction site. He and Hex left and he was very wary. “We’re out of time. We’ll never evacuate the city now.” He commented as he pointed up, “Hey, I thought I saw a second Firewall.”  
  
“It won’t hold Mouse for long. And, who said we were evacuating the city?” her voice became sour.  
  
Bob was taken aback. “But--I thought, uh...”  
  
She sighed and looked into the sky, “Where’s a Game Cube when you need one?” She then saw her brother play around with Hex. “Enzo, get away from her!”  
  
“But, sis!” Enzo looked upset.  
  
“Yeah, Sis!” Hex repeated.  
  
“And you could stop it with that ‘Sis’ thing!” she pointed harshly at the virus-turned-Sprite.  
  
“But I simply adooore children." She raised a hand and whispered, "But, I could never eat a whole one.”  
  
Everyone fell silent at her statement; they couldn't believe what they just heard. A virus eating a kid?! Sick!!  
  
“It was a joke! I’m joking.” Hex reassured. No one seemed convinced, not even when the Game was about to come down.  
  
“Oh, great.” Bob muttered.  
  
The commander seemed a lot more confident. “Great! Bob, do not fight me on this one.”  
  
“What’re you talking about?”  
  
She knelt down until she was the same height as Enzo, laying her hands on him. “Matrix? I need you to do something for me." The Sprite smiled from ear to ear. This was a first that Dot actually depended on him. Whatever it was, he was all for it feeling proud. "It’s really important, and only you could do this. I want you to go into the Game and stay there. I want you to change your icon into Game Sprite Mode and stay in the Game until you grow up. Until you are as big as Matrix.”  
  
Bob went flabbergasted. “What?! You cannot be serious!”  
  
“Don’t worry, Bob. I’ll come back and save you all. Like I did before.” He folded his arms, very self-fulfilling. His obligation was about to come true.  
  
“Enzo--”  
  
“Matrix!” The little Sprite corrected as he raised a fist.  
  
Bob still didn't back down. “Enzo, please listen to me. You are not Matrix, you don’t have to do this! Th-there’s another way, there has to be another way!”  
  
“Hack, Slash, Plan 4.04. Frisket, go with them, boy.” The dog nodded in enjoyment as he barked.  
  
“Dot, you can’t do this. Think about what you’re doing!” Bob protested.  
  
“I have.” She turned back to her little hero, “Come back. Save us. You can do it.” She gave him a kiss on his forehead. “Ok, go. Quickly.”  
  
Enzo looked somberly at the Welman Null Creature. “Dad? I’ll be back soon. I love you.” He waved goodbye to him.  
  
Slash took the kid under his arm. The dog whimpered at Hack. “What? I get the dog?”  
  
Each of the robots' rocket boosters launched the group into the air. Enzo looked down sadly at his friends one more time before he was engulfed by the Game Cube's radical energy.  
  
It landed at Level 1, in Baudway. Enzo, Frisket, Hack and Slash found themselves on top of an elongated bridge over a calm, murky river. The city itself was full of life and the Game turned day into night. Many skyscrapers towered above the heroes' heads as they wandered the foreign place.  
  
"Where are we?" Enzo asked in amazement. Clearly, he was still shocked upon his limited experience in navigating Games.  
  
"Eh--I don't know..." Hack answered, just as stupefied.  
  
"This is the Game where we should lose, right?" Slash asked curiously, vaguely remembering Dot's orders. “What should we do next if we get nullified?” he thought aloud.  
  
Frisket was sniffing the new air, then suddenly the gang heard an obnoxious noise. The Arwing was landing next to them and as the engines shut down, two individuals hopped out. They were Fox and Young Link.  
  
Curiously, Enzo asked who they were. "Um, are you guys the Users?"  
  
Fox was perplexed for a nanosecond then recovered. "What? No, of course not. I suppose we haven't met, have we? You're Enzo, correct?" He asked focusing on the little Sprite.  
  
"Y-yeah, I am. And you are...?" He trailed off. He also wondered why Frisket wasn't attacking them. He was calm and collected as he never saw him before.  
  
"I am Fox McCloud, lead pilot of the Starfox team. This here is my partner-um..." he tried to think of an appropriate name for Link's younger counterpart. "Uh...Link Jr?"  
  
"Um, I guess that's alright..." Young Link tried to hide his embarrassment. He felt belittled since Fox was introducing him as a lower rank in front of a kid who was roughly his own age.  
  
"Alphanumeric! I've never seen many Sprites my own age before." Enzo cheered when he met the young Hylian. They shook hands and Young Link was no longer humiliated in his presence.  
  
"We should get going. We got a Game to win!" Fox declared.  
  
"But I thought Dot said--" Slash paused when they seemed to hear an explosion. But it wasn't. One of the Mako Reactors became operational, extracting the energy from the Lifestream.  
  
Frisket growled as Enzo became startled. "What was that?"  
  
"There! A power plant has become fully functional!" Fox pointed to an enormous tower which was located a few miles from the bridge.  
  
"The User might be in there! Let's do it! Reboot!" Enzo tapped twice on his gold icon, which turned himself into a different character. His hairdo was still the same, but instead he had blanch skin, wearing a white tank top, and black boxers. He also gained the ability to throw devastating punches. "Cool!"  
  
"You--"  
  
"Changed!"  
  
Fox and Young Link were amazed on his new stats. "How'd you do it?" The pilot asked.  
  
"Well, it's simple. You simply double-click on your icon and say the magic word." Enzo explained. "Watch again!" This time, he touched Frisket's icon while Hack and Slash, reluctantly, did the same to themselves.  
  
Frisket turned into a dark, red dog with menacing fangs and ravenous eyes. Hack and Slash...temporarily disappeared. "Where's Hack and Slash?" Enzo thought aloud.  
  
"Hey, that looks fun! Let's see what we can do." Young Link boasted with enthusiasm. Fox nodded and they tapped their icons. In a flash, they too were different.  
  
The Starfox leader looked at his reflection over the river and he realized he had dark, brown fur, some bulky muscles on his arms, and a larger Blaster where his right limb was supposed to be. "Whoa, I got muscles!" He flexed his arms and tried out his new weapon. The gears rotated, he aimed, and shot an enormous bullet that blasted a mailbox into pieces. "This gun is fantastic! I wish I could have one of those in my later missions."  
  
Young Link changed too. Instead of wearing his green tunic and hat, he had short, spiky blonde hair, some muscle tone, a short-sleeve black shirt, and some tights. What was more amazing was that he was wearing a gigantic sword which was almost twice his size. He slowly drew it from his large scabbard, then he stumbled as he carried it.  
  
"This thing is heavy! This kinda reminds me of the Biggoron's Sword!"  
  
"Where are the two robots?" Fox queried.  
  
Sheepishly, Slash answered. "Uh...right here."  
  
He turned himself into a human with black, sleek hair, wearing an outfit almost the same as Young Link's. However it was denim jeans and a short-sleeve indigo shirt. He was very different than the others, as he became translucent and was hovering!  
  
"S-Slash! You're an apparition!" Enzo explained.  
  
"Was I deleted?" Slash asked, still frightened by this change. Then he saw his partner-in-crime look the same way he did...only different. Hack was also translucent but he was wearing a red dress and his shiny, brown hair was tied back into a ponytail.  
  
Everyone tried to cover their laughter, then Hack asked, "What? What's so funny?"  
  
"Uh, Hack? You...shouldn't look at yourself." the blue bot advised.  
  
"What do I look like?"  
  
Before Slash found his words, Enzo and the others heard another rumble coming from the Mako Plant.  
  
"Come on, we don't have much time!" Fox led the group, the others followed in a quickened pace.  
  
  
"I don't believe in the No-Win scenario. I need to cover my options." Dot continued to dscuss with Bob back outside.  
  
"But Enzo's an option now, isn't he?"  
  
"And so are you. I want you to form a portal to a safe System and get the hell outta here."  
  
"What? Why don't you just tell me what's going on? Have I gone mad, or is it just you?"  
  
"You both seem pretty mad to me." Akari interrupted, Game & Watch nodded. They ignored their dirty looks.  
  
Dot resumed her plan. "Daemon needs you to complete her function, so--"  
  
"So I go and hide in the Net."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"And what happens here in Mainframe?"  
  
She paused for a nano and looked at her father. "You finished, Dad?"  
  
"Every System is in targeting."  
  
The Guardian had an epiphany, "It's a trap... You're gonna activate the Gateway as soon as she crosses it."  
  
"Single source, multiple targets. We'll bring her code to the far reaches of the Net."  
  
"But everyone would still be infected."  
  
"Without Daemon's control, the Net may recover."  
  
He shook his head. "This is thin, Dot."  
  
"THIS... is all I got." She held her Organizer close to her to demonstrate her resources should never fail.  
  
Just then, the Firewall began to finally collapse.  
  
Dot touched the communicator on her headset and spoke into the mic, "Fleet commanders, this is it. Blow the Guardian Armada out of the sky before it enters our airspace."  
  
Everyone, including Akari, looked above and saw Daemon approaching the Principal Office. The teenager just stared up there, aghast at the sight of her. She had never seen anyone like this before. To her, it was like gazing at Satan, if he happens to be a female.  
  
But, Dot never faltered. "Bob, stand at the doors. If you won't leave then you'll at least be bait."  
  
"Hmph, LIVE bait." Bob walked to the front of the Gateway Command, followed by Hex, then Akari.  
  
"Dad, stand by. When she enters the Gate, hit Send. Phong, you're with me. Let's meet our guests. Everyone stay calm."  
  
"Easy for you to say." Akari's heart was racing a hundred beats per nano.  
  
The elderly Sprite turned toward Daemon's descent. "Oh, dear." She was just a few feet off the ground when she stopped and greeted the group of victims.  
  
  
Fox, Enzo, and the rest of the gang ran to the entrance of the massive building. From the looks of the city, lights were flickering within the buildings. As they were a sure sign they were losing power. The plant, however, was not affected as it resumed its function.  
  
"What's going on?" Young Link asked.  
  
"It looks like that building is powering down the city. We need to stop it before we get erased." Enzo remembered a similar experience as he watched a read-me file when Mainframe was shutting down thanks to a corrupted file downloaded by Megabyte.  
  
"Quickly, we must hurry!" Fox led the party as they ran up to the control chamber.  
  
Along the way, an alarm came off, signaling there were intruders here. As a response, people wearing gas masks and dark uniforms shown their red beams on them. They continued to run, avoiding bullets in the process.  
  
They hid themselves in a corridor. And Fox declared, "If we stay together, we're sitting ducks." A bullet bounced off the crate.  
  
"We'll have to split up!" Enzo added.  
  
"But how? They got us cornered!" Young Link screeched. Just then the Shinra soldiers heard moaning.  
  
Two ghosts emerged and were taunting the Game Sprites. Hack and Slash took turns.  
  
"Oooooh...Yooou are aaaall making a big mistaaake..."  
  
"Uh-yeah. You're absorbing the power of our Plaaanet. You will face deletion for what you're dooooiiiiing..."  
  
One of the troops spoke angrily, "Hey! We have a job to do! Stay out of our way, or you'll face deletion!" He pointed his ray gun at them, but they continued.  
  
"Weeeee were one of youuuu...We first belonged to SOLDIER, but then we quiiiit."  
  
"We realized what weeee did was wrooong. And we died because of our sins..."  
  
"Now you shall tooooo..."  
  
"How do they even know us!?!" one of the Shinra startled.  
  
"Who cares? They are ghosts. They should never do harm to us. Shoot them!" The leader shouted.  
  
The diversion was working! The weapons had no effect on Hack nor Slash. "Okay, here's our chance! Let's move!" Fox declared.  
  
They ran up the stairs while fighting some more soldiers. Enzo used his fists, to knock out one, plus his teeth. Young Link used a Spin Attack to scatter the enemies every which way. Frisket mauled a couple of his victims, while Fox made a frenzy with his new gun.  
  
When the coast was clear, they trekked up to the control room.  
  
  
Meanwhile, Daemon made her acquaintances to each of them. She never even cared all of the long-range guns were pointing straight at her.  
  
"'Ello. You must be Dot. Matrix had told me all about you."  
  
"Then you know what I think about viruses!" she spoke forcefully.  
  
Daemon seemed to be oblivious to the threat. "Phong, the wise one. It is an honor to finally meet you."  
  
The golden bot made a slight bow to her.  
  
"And, there is my Messenger--" Then she saw Hex; she was very ticked on what she became. "Hexadecimal! You have turned into an abomination! You are a disgrace to your kind!" she protested. The delivery caused the virus to sulk in guilt. Although Akari wasn't sure how she actually knew Hex; perhaps super viruses are aware of their existence, she thought.  
  
"She's NOT your kind anymore!" Bob shouted back, defending his friend.  
  
Daemon simply just smiled. This was not good. "There is no need for anger. Soon we'll be one, joined in The Word." Her fingers delicately touched each other and then...  
  
As soon as her toe made contact, Akari grabbed Game & Watch and ran straight toward the Gateway without looking back. The black Sprite leaped out of her arms, landed on the button Welman hesitantly pressed, and the portal was activated. As the infection was closing in, both people went through and disappeared!  
  
The rest of them were assimilated almost instantly, and the Nulls scattered away. The spread also hit everyone within the System, including all of the civilians, the air force, and even Turbo inside the brig.  
  
"Arrgh." He held his head in agony as he absorbed the green streams. "She's here." The Prime Guardian concluded. Then he made one final prayer with his remaining strength, "User have mercy on the Net."  
  
All the Sprites rose, wearing the same smile, and having the same viral markings on their skin. Dot was the first to respond to her mistress. "My Lady... Mainframe is at your service."  
  
She gently nodded in content. "Yesss. It is time you are reunited, with your friends and family." As she spread her arm, a Zoom Room automatically came down. It was as if she summoned it by her own will, or so she did. It revealed Mouse, Mike, Matrix, and AndrAIa.  
  
Of course, the noisy television Sprite expressed his excitement. And for once, no one fazed. "Oh, there's no place like home." His mouth went wide as he elongated every other word he spoke, "Mainfraaame has heaaarrd The Worrd."  
  
"Well we haven't!!"  
  
Daemon looked behind her and Samus made the counter. She aimed her arm cannon straight at her, and the Smashers were on all sides exiting her ship. The Mario Brothers stood at her left, Mewtwo stayed afloat over the team, Kirby landed in front of them as the Warp Star vanished, The Ice Climbers stood at the opposing side raising their mallets, DK was behind the bounty hunter pounding his chest on top of her ship, Peach was next to her hero with Yoshi, and Zelda stood next to Nana and Popo.  
  
"Are you here trying to threaten us? To dispel The Word?"  
  
"We will not be tempted by your offer, Daemon. So we meet at last, face to face. You may have intimidated me by brainwashing my best friend, but we would be deleted rather than go by your pathetic Word.  
  
"We're here to challenge you zealots to a tournament. A tourney that'll determine the fate for the entire Net. We want to fight you fairly, rather than go all reckless in a bloody war. If we win, then we will have the privilege to challenge you in a duel and delete you. If YOU win, then you may carry out your function and let Bob fulfill it." That alone made Samus' skin crawl beneath her cyber suit, but the strong woman composed herself bravely. "I am the interplanetary bounty hunter, Samus Aran. And I hereby challenge you against The Word. Do you accept, or yield?"  
  
Daemon paused and looked at Samus and her allies, then to her followers. She just smiled evilly as much as they did. "I accept. Michele?!"  
  
The little bipedal television emerged from the crowd. And Samus picked a fighter from her group, Luigi. That made the green plumber squirm and hold his hat tightly against his head. "I choose, Luigi," she addressed.  
  
"Very well. I shall take you to a location of my choosing."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
Everyone stood by as another Zoom Room took both brawlers. Luigi was hesitant and he tried to run, but he couldn't go anywhere.  
  
They appeared just a few Sectors away, at one of the massive golf courses. They were standing in a sand dune, and Mike retained his thrill.  
  
"Let the battle begin!!" he bellowed.  
  
Mike kept on jabbering about nonsense, but also taunting him as he was trying to get Luigi to beat him. In hindsight The Word meant peace and unity, but Daemon's infection influenced him to eliminate those that resisted. So, Mike used a few playful taps, then he upped the ante as he gave him a few kicks. This actually startled the guy. He pushed him back desperately as he swung his arms wildly at him. Then, Luigi was taken aback by Mike's loudspeaker as he kept yelling directly at him. Luigi was holding his poor ears in agony as they grew red as a beet. Then, not taking anymore of Mike's bickering and irritatingly loud persona, he drastically picked up and threw some seeds toward him which did nothing at all. Thinking he had no ways of defending himself, Luigi ran across the fields like a coward. Mike then gave chase, continually doing the same things over and over. This was a sore sight to see for Samus, but very amusing to her opponents.  
  
Never taking the blame for his brother, Mario grew bold. His eyes narrowed and he tossed a flat, green disc. When it landed on the ground, it momentarily sprouted to a Warp Pipe. He jumped into it, and it took him at the exact spot where the fray was. Luigi was in a fetal position, and Mario stood in front of him.  
  
"Are you ready for a beat down??" Mike said, deliriously happy.  
  
"Let's-a-go!" He put up his dukes toward the bully. He did the same, and then they exchanged fists and kicks.  
  
When Mike got close enough, Mario grabbed and tossed him aside like a rag doll. As the fight wore on, Mario's attacks were more powerful. From a distance he shot Fireballs, which was strange considering he didn't have Fire Flower in his possession. And when he sent his weak opponent into the air, he kissed it more often as he did the Coin Punch. He also performed the Mario Tornado as he wanted to cause more injury and force him away, but Mike still kept on it.  
  
On the other side of the spectrum, Mike's intimidation never worked on the red plumber; he was undoubtedly a lot more steadfast than his brother. And he figured his best bet was shattering the screen. With Mario's cape that temporarily blinded him, he landed a punch that set him flying like a crazed Bullet Bill! Mike dissipated like a star and wound up only the User knows where.  
  
Mario won the first round, and he did his signature stance as he grew exponentially, then shrunk down to his normal size nanoseconds later.  
  
Looking around, he could hardly see Luii, as his uniform blended well within the grassy environment. He was still in a huddled format and Mario just lend a friendly hand to him. He calmed down after he saw his brother grin. From that gesture, he figured he was safe, then he grabbed Mario's hand.  
  
Mario gave Luigi a charade, but it showed some concern, thinking if he was alright. Luigi nodded in confirmation, and together they both re-entered the Warp Pipe, emerging back beside Samus' gunship.  
  
Daemon summoned her next entry who was Dot; however, something was different. While the preliminary started, thinking it was too easy, Daemon gifted her a ginormous bazooka attached to her midsection, putting the brothers at unease. They were small fries compared to her, and she was about to blow them out of the sky just as the weapon charged with an ear-piercing squeak.  
  
"I know a thing or two about protecting your own brethren. Matrix and The Word are with me. My Lady and I would not stand the likes of YOU!" Luigi yelped, and Mario covered him as he was scurrying back.  
  
Then, all of a sudden, a gigantic ape stepped up to the plate. He roared and slammed his fists against his chest. For once, Donkey Kong was determined to defend his all-time rival. He fixed his wide eyes on the dame, and the fight was on!  
  
  
Fox led the group up the endless stairways toward the top of the power plant. They stopped short and out of breath. Frisket carried Enzo on his back, and Young Link and his teammate ran beside them. "Whew. The ghosts should keep the Shinra busy. All we need to do now is shut down the Mako plant and destroy it. There must be an auto-destructive mechanism around here somewhere."  
  
Fox searched while his friends stood guard.  
  
"I wonder where the User is in all this." Enzo looked around aimlessly.  
  
"There it is!" They all looked at the leader who was vigorously typing away. "I can deactivate the plant's core from here, and then I can set the self-destruct sequence. But we gotta be quick and we need to escape with our lives. I'll call my Arwing when the time is right."  
  
"Arwing?"  
  
"Fox's ship." Link Jr. clarified.  
  
"Cool."  
  
They heard a buzzing noise as Hack and Slash materialized. "Those gunmen better show some respect!" The blue bot complained.  
  
"You said it." Hack agreed. "We could've been goners!"  
  
"So, what's next, Fox?"  
  
Before he had time to react, the roof caved in. There was a colossal, mechanical scorpion that shook and aimed its tail toward the team. Its tip glowed and everybody scattered to avoid the lethal laser that was leaving a deep scar across the floor.  
  
Fox halted and he pressed a button on his right arm. His body was covered by a blinking energy field, it was his Reflector. The laser made contact and the beam was deflected back toward the Guard Scorpion, deactivating the onslaught.  
  
Link Jr. stepped in and made some numerous slices and dices across his body, although he tripped a few times as he lost his balance with his Buster Sword. As he raged on, the scorpion's tail was charging up. Enzo fought beside him and used his upper cuts to dent the exterior. They were quick, but they had to stay on target as the scorpion kept moving.  
  
The Hylian stopped and decided to use his Bombs against its legs since he was too close. He could've sworn he saw a Target symbol aim at Enzo. Frsiket's fangs were no good against the Scorpion's metallic structure. He just hung on and it smacked him away with its tail like he was just a toy.  
  
"Frisket!" Enzo screeched.  
  
"Heads up!" The leader shouted.  
  
The tail unleashed its devastating fury, and Fox kept up the same strategy like he did before. He then used his Fire Fox move, but the burn left no effect. He barely got caught by the scorpion's teeth. Though Link Jr. easily sliced them apart. Fox made a few rounds toward its vulnerable face with his Blaster/Arm Cannon. And as its tail was following Enzo, he led it onto its own back. He jumped off it when the attack was activated, eventually blowing the scorpion to smithereens!  
  
Everyone congratulated him, and Frisket was fine as he ran back toward them. However, the Game didn't lift yet.  
  
"It looks like the Game isn't over yet." Fox stated.  
  
"We still have to escape from the power plant, though." said Young Link.  
  
"If that's not the User, then who is?" Enzo queried.  
  
They heard an annoying chirping noise. And the small screen on the dashboard flashed, "Auto-Destruct Sequence is Now Active!"  
  
"How do we get outta here?" Slash said, alarmed. Hack was just as paranoid.  
  
"I'll call the Arwing!" Fox typed on his comm on his right arm. His fighter jet emerged nanoseconds later. Although, it was taking some damage 'cause of the enemy fire from the Shinra below. Fox blew a hole through a tall window where a full moon was shining. The team ran onto it just as the lid opened to the cockpit. Frisket, however, entered the ramp at the underside, and there was barely enough room for everyone except for the specters.  
  
"Guys, you two are ghosts. You can go through anything! We gotta move it." Fox called out.  
  
The Arwing flew away with the two bots on its tail.  
  
The team set out to find the User. Below them, they saw titans of all sorts demolish The Planet as their Weapons were wreaking havoc. Just then, they also observed a strange looking silhouette against the moon; it almost looked like an angel, only it had one wing protruding from his left shoulder and a humongous halo.  
  
"We're going in after him." Fox said. "Hack, Slash, I want you to lift Link Jr. and Enzo toward him. We're only going to go as far as the exosphere; we have to win this Game!" He ejected Young Link, but the other Sprite hesitated.  
  
"But, my sister said I should stay in the Game. That I should compile up and be as big as Matrix."  
  
"How long is that gonna take?"  
  
"I don't know, maybe several cycles. I just need to change myself into Game Sprite Mode and stay with the Game."  
  
"So, that means if you win, we won't see you again?"  
  
That made the little Sprite change his expression.  
  
"I need you to think about that for a nano, Enzo. Do you really want to leave your friends behind? Your family? Do you want to become a hothead like Matrix? Or would you rather stay with us and create your own destiny?" There was a brief pause. "It's your choice. Do you want to win this Game, or not?"  
  
"Uh, Matrix?" Hack interrupted the pep talk.  
  
"Uh, I'm coming. I'll think about it." he said toward his comrade. Fox closed the hatch, and it was off to battle.  
  
The User's lower half nearly looked like a white octopus with its multiple limbs, and it was some seraph-like being that had a plethora of nasty moves. Young Link and Enzo lunged in, but the seraph's exterior was too durable, even for the lasers. He also managed to swap the trio away like flies, causing some damage to the Arwing. It unleashed its Shadow Flare, but the Arwing and the ghosts scattered to avoid it; Fox flew in a counterclockwise position. The User then became more distant as it gained altitude, it was then charging up a colossal energy ball as he raised his arms above it!  
  
The vermillion orb grew massive in a matter of nanos. How were they supposed to resist such an attack like this?! Excepting the Arwing, they'd surely be incinerated!  
  
 _"Never give up; trust your instincts."  
  
_ Peppy's words rang in Fox's mind. He knew the Supernova would obliterate his friends and the entire planet, and they may lose the Game if it succeeds. He casted his fears aside and aimed straight toward the User's chest. Link Jr. kept throwing bombs at it, and Enzo slashed the thick abdomen; inflicting minimal damage. Then, Fox shot out a nova bomb dead center. It exploded on contact, and the User dropped his arms, holding its midsection.  
  
"Everyone! Emergency maneuvers!"  
  
"On the double!" the two spirits spoke in stereo. They lifted the two kids away while the Arwing boosted as the Supernova dropped toward the seraph.  
  
Link Jr. looked back and had an idea. He struggled out of Slash's, or Zack's, hands, held up his blade which ignited, and made a lot of slashes with insane speed and accuracy. The stunned seraph was now the fallen angel; its left wing was destroyed, and it shown a stupefied expression. Then, soon enough, its body pixelated and vanished in the air. The male ghost caught his partner and the woman in the red dress and the Arwing arrived. The world was saved, and the clashing giants disappeared the same way.  
  
  
Near the Gateway, DK was standing up to Dot with her butch bazooka. She fired a few shots which hit the thick ape. However, he managed to grab her, toss her, and even do a headbutt stunning her. His only way to win was for her to lose that weapon. Dot was a light-weight like Mike, but her shooter made her more unbalanced. His size and ferocity were his greatest strengths, and eventually the bazooka was too much for the muscular monkey.  
  
By the time she was vulnerable, Donkey Kong grabbed her in his strong arm and leapt and climbed up the circular building, with Dot screeching all the way. Matrix shot his Gun and Bob used his Glitch powers from his palms, draining some of his energy. He faded out more than he did before, putting him in a state of shock.  
  
DK reached the top, threw Dot to the side, and wound up as he was swinging his arm. Miss Matrix got up and ran, and Samus yelled up, "Don't let her get away!!"  
  
The ape closed in on her, thrashing through the walls as he thumped in the halls. She was about to unlock the door to the War Room while she was speaking something through her headset. But she never finished as DK made the final blow. His Giant Punch sent her flying toward another wall just a few feet away. She was buried underneath the debris and the doors were open. The ape let out a roar, scaring all the hapless Binomes away, even Specky.  
  
Round 2 was over, but the heat would be turned up to massive proportions.  
 **  
A/N: Whew, glad I got that out of the way! Anyways, about why I picked the Game.  
  
In the Reboot episode, Sacrifice, Enzo was shown going into a Game. However the Game itself was never shown. Just Enzo and his small group winning it and being protected from Daemon's infection. So I made one up. The concept was NOT easy, as I had some ideas but weren't relatable to the characters, especially Frisket.  
  
Once the Game lands, the intro to FFVII, Bombing Mission, will be included, then the theme from Starfox Adventures whenever Fox lands his ship. "Let the Battles Begin" should be heard during the second scene of the Game. The first half of "Omen" from FFVI would sound when Samus made her entrance and declared for the tournament. A small segment from Luigi's Mansion would be heard as Mike starts the fight with the green plumber, then the Mushroom Kingdom theme from Melee starts as Mario wins over Mike. The Unused Starfox Theme from Adventures would play as the Arwing lifts off. Andross' theme plays during the shootout, The Staff Upgrade plays when the User has been defeated, and Melee's version of the Monkey Rap is heard during the fight between Donkey and Dot.  
  
Cloud was Young Link, Tifa was Enzo (albeit a more manly description), Hack and Slash were Aerith and Zack respectively, Fox was Barett, and Frisket was Red XIII. The battle with the User, aka Safer-Sephiroth, was changed to represent a space battle than a RPG, much like Andross or any intergalactic destroyer.  
  
Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely like Luigi, even more than Mario. But I just wanted to give him that cowardly persona he's well-known for; after all, this could take place before Luigi's Mansion. And I believe it's true when Treesicle described him as having GAD, General Anxiety Disorder. Also, you probably would've guessed the reference when DK made his move on Dot; it was just something that occurred to me.  
  
Well, that's a huge roadblock removed. Now the fight continues**!


	9. Payback from the Smashers!

**A/N: Alright, Round 3 will begin here. And I really liked how this is going so far; Mike and Dot clearly needed a beating, as do Daemon's other infected cronies. I'm so sick of "The Word" and I think it's about damn time they get some payback!  
  
Anyway, some of the answers will be here, like where did Akari and Game & Watch end up, or whether or not Enzo and Samus will be successful.  
  
**After the brawl against Dot, Donkey Kong won, but it wasn't long before Mouse noticed the chaos inside. She drew out her Masamune and headed straight toward the ape! He was heavy, but pretty agile for his size as she gave chase. They both ended up at the roof again, and the great monkey received some painful abrasions across his body. He winced every time she laid her blade on him, and the wounds were too much as he attempted to hit the nimble swordswoman.  
  
Daemon, Bob, and Hex were there, too, observing the unfair fight. Dot wasn't as lethal as the deadly maiden was. Yet, the leading Kong still tried to hold his own. Although the super virus was still scorned towards Hex's image.  
  
  
"Game Over." The System announcer chirped.  
  
The Game Cube ended and Hack was very shocked on what the Sprite and his team had done. "Matrix! You won the Game!"  
  
"I know." Enzo seemed unfazed, as were Fox and Link Jr.  
  
Slash went toward him. "Uh, but were we supposed to lose and STAY in the Game?" he questioned, twiddling his digits.  
  
"I-I know." The young Sprite shook his head, "I just couldn't do it. I can't leave my family." He realized that he made the right decision after Fox reasoned with him before they went against the seraph.  
  
Hack startlingly looked around. "Hey-hey-hey-hey-hey! W-what's this green everywhere?" he observed, gazing upon the glowing streaks of green all over the ground and every building.  
  
"And where's the Firewall?" Slash exclaimed.  
  
"Daemon must be here." Enzo confirmed.  
  
"Oh, that's just marvelous!"  
  
Frisket and Fox's noses were twitching at the vile odors that were surrounding them. The pilot's fists clenched and grinded his teeth. "This is not good. The war must be starting already; Samus was planning to bring all of us here." Everyone looked up at him. "We came from the System of Smash, and I bet she and my comrades have challenged her to a tournament, as a way to fight against her and save our world. I hope your Guardian hasn't been infected yet." Like the bounty hunter, even he was dreading it could happen.  
  
Just then, Enzo saw Mouse slashing a humongous mammal, and the sphere to the Principal Office was hatching. "What's up there? Hack, long-range scanner." The red bot withdrew his hand and took out a pair of binoculars. Through the zooming lens, Enzo saw the silver ball reveal a few Tears, while a giant monkey was mercilessly being slaughtered by Mouse! Bob formed a portal before Daemon touched it, resulting in an instant infection. "This is bad. This is very bad."  
  
"And Donkey Kong's up there!" growled Fox. Link Jr. grew just as anxious.  
  
The binoculars also enclosed on Matrix and AndrAIa happily lounging on a bench. Slash got in front of his view. "What're we going to do, Matrix?!"  
  
"Stop calling me that! Bob's right." He faced the gang. "I'm not Matrix. I'm not a renegade and I'm not lost in the Games." He triple tapped on his icon, and Fox and Link Jr. couldn't believe their eyes! The little Sprite's uniform transformed into another one. It was a dark blue with golden shoulder pads. "I am Enzo Matrix. My function, to mend and defend. And you five are going to help me."  
  
His dog and the two robots looked at him, shocked. As if they were going up against the enemy themselves under this child's orders. Fortunately, he had a few people that had his back.  
  
"I'll help you out later. Right now we got a friend to save from deletion! We'll meet you in a nano, be careful!" Fox and Young Link hurried inside the Arwing to retrieve their poor primate. Slash used his rockets to tag along.  
  
Fox had no trouble when he caught DK while he was about to kiss the pavement. They immediately flew away from the chaos and toward the opening, though Slash made a terrible decision on confronting the viruses. He saw Daemon let Bob form portals; all Tears but one were stabilized. Until...  
  
"Ok, Lady. Leave the Guardian alone and step away from the portal." The stubborn super virus ignored Slash's worthless retorts. "I said--" One of his limbs fell off, which happened to be his arm. "Hey!" It was Mouse who seamlessly sliced Slash up with her sword and left him in a pile of rubble. "That's me all over."  
  
Just then her Masamune was taken away by a long, sticky tongue. It didn't belong to a chameleon, but rather a little green dinosaur who was hungry and ready to rock! Yoshi casually chewed it, then spat out the remains as the weapon was far too sharp to eat. They clattered on the floor, then Mouse made a battle cry and ran for the reptile.  
  
Yoshi never backed down from the furious hacker; not even her glaring eyes stopped the small tyke. She also used her skinny legs making some dangerous kicks, and her fangs as she grabbed and bit him a few times. Yoshi's fluttering feet were able to set him free. Her swords left minimal wounds to him, and he was very resistant as he kept flutter-jumping into the air and diving for his Yoshi Bombs, landing plenty of damage. He also used his tongue to swallow Mouse and lay an egg; however her tough weapons made the shell a joke. The dino then charged up and transformed into his own egg, rolling and avoiding the ferocious female. The slight inclines on the outer rim made it easy for Yoshi to execute, making him roll faster and harder, until Mouse diced through the weak exterior. He answered back with a headbutt then an Egg Throw, the firework effect blinding her for a nanosecond. He turned his body and whacked her hard with his tail, sending her across the roof.  
  
Just then, Samus from below tossed up a blue Koopa Troopa shell. Yoshi's tongue grabbed it and he was attacked when Mouse rammed into him! The impact sent him toward the edge, and despite the restless legs, he then deliberately dropped. Mouse grinned, thinking it was over. But to her surprise, he soared up and had a pair of dragon wings attached to his back. He kept dropping eggs at her, but she sliced every projectile, making them omelets instead. The wing effect ended as he spat the shell out, hitting Mouse squarely in the head.  
  
Samus threw him another shell, only it was red. Yoshi ate it and he unleashed a fiery breath onto his enemy! She shielded herself from the lethal flames as she backed away. Then, Yoshi leapt from ledge to ledge, exhaling fire in the process. By the time he was able to swallow the shell, some of the hacker's apparel were scorched, then he leapt and performed a powerful Yoshi Bomb, seesawing her off the roof!  
  
"Mouse!" Bob called out, although his portal-forming left him too weak to move.  
  
The hacker was caught and wrapped up by Samus' Grapple Beam. She reeled her in and retorted to her betrayer as she was struggling, "OK! You've caused enough damage to this System! This time, you've double-crossed US! Now you have two options: we can do this the easy way, or the hard way." Before she got her answer, with neon blue eyes, Mewtwo knocked her out using his stunning telekinesis. She collapsed in a heap, and Samus unraveled her, leaving her helpless body.  
  
"Thanks, Mewtwo. I was getting very worked up over her, and Daemon's other cronies."  
  
"I understand." he nodded and said calmly. "I wish Akari and Game & Watch were here to help us. I just saw Fox escape with DK, too."  
  
There was an explosion, and Yoshi fell off the roof. "Ow-wow-wow-wow-wow-wow!"  
  
"Yoshi!" The two ran toward their fallen friend, but he wasn't hurt severely. Just a few scratches.  
  
A Null appeared out of nowhere and it latched itself onto Samus' cyber suit. Mewtwo used his Psychic powers again to rid of it, then a bunch of those leeches were thrown at the duo. The Pokémon conjured energy and thrown all the Nulls asunder. That's when they knew that Hex was at it again! Sure enough, the new Sprite glared at them. And she was hit directly by a golf club. It was Peach who was possessing it. She withdrew it as her assailant sneered angrily. That was their cue to skedaddle.  
  
"Peach, you keep Hexadecimal busy. We have to stop Bob and Daemon." The green dinosaur retreated into the ship with Mewtwo, and Samus tapped and spoke into her arm, "Zelda, if Princess Toadstool fails to stop the enemy, it'll be your turn. Stand by in my ship, we're going after the source."  
  
"Hurry, you two." She was pretty preoccupied of the whereabouts of the two Links.  
  
  
Akari and Game & Watch emerged from a psychedelic tunnel of sorts. She opened her blurry eyes, "Where...where are we?"  
  
By the time they cleared, the pair were actually inside the Clock Room. They saw the pendulum swing slowly side to side, and the area was very spacious. A throne sat in the center and from the symbols encrypted on the floor and the pendulum, she knew it was trouble.  
  
Then she startled as she self-inspected, checking to see any of those creepy lines from the infection. Thankfully there was none on her, nor Game & Watch; he was as black as a spray-painted 8-ball.  
  
"Oh, thank goodness." she sighed in relief and holding her racing heart. She looked around the amazing sight. "I can't believe we're actually in the Super Computer! We hit the jackpot!"  
  
Both Sprites grew dazed. "I guess...we better take a look around first. If the rumors are true, we should be able to do whatever we want to whatever System!" Akari couldn't hide her enthusiasm; she felt as if the Net is like a toy to her now. "But where should we find the functions?"  
  
With a trace of doubt, she descended beneath the Clock Room, Game & Watch ticking behind her.  
  
  
Meanwhile, Peach did a pisspoor job dealing with the virus. Then again, this was NOT the first time she was horrible at fighting, nor defending herself as she was a damsel to Bowser throughout her life. She just laid there on the ground, her tongue sticking out of her wide mouth, her eyes open with her big, shiny pupils. Zelda hopped out of the shuttle and stuck up her hands, ready to conjure any countering spell against Hex's assaults. Most times, Zelda was as much of a distressed princess as her close friend, but she had made up for it recently.  
  
Hex had some blows to her face, but she was just as ready when she tossed some Nulls toward her. Nayru's Love acted as a shield as the leeches bounced off and fell lifelessly to the ground. Zelda kept attacking at a distance using Din's fireballs, usually missing her target. Then Hex soared toward her and made a few slaps, until the Hyrulian landed some magic from her hands. Next, Zelda teleported using Farore's Wind, and landed on the octagonal layer of the Principal Office. She did the unthinkable as she raised her hands and transformed her entire outlook in an instant! Instead of a long, elaborate dress with stilettoes and a dark blond ponytail, she looked close to being a ninja.  
  
She was known as the survivor of her tribe called the Sheikahs, and she went by the name, Sheik. Her fighting style was close-ranged, making a mediocre target for Hex. While she usually lacked length, she made up for it with her incredible speed and aerial abilities. She leapt off the roof and made a few kicks toward her adversary. Then Hex counteracted with her telekinesis and tossed her back a few feet. Sheik gracefully landed on her feet and dragged them on the pavement. She retaliated with her Needle Storm, which wasn't very lethal. But her Chain brought the enemy close for a few knocks. Hex kicked back and they fought each other mono y mono.  
  
After exchanging several blows, Sheik was the most agile, and her recovery couldn't let her down. While she was easier to knockback, she landed very powerful blows to Hex, weakening with every move she landed on her. She also managed to kick away the Null balls as they just bounced off of her martial arts. With a final effort, Sheik stunned Hex with a flash from a Deku Nut and disappeared for a short while. Then, out of nowhere, she made a huge kick to the back of the Sprite's neck, and down she went.  
  
"Hexadecimal!" A French accent was heard just a couple nanos later. Sheik vanished again in a burst of flames and Daemon landed onto the battle arena. Hex was wounded, but she was only able to raise her head.  
  
Gazing at her savior, she weakly apologized, "Forgive me, My Lady."  
  
"No." The super virus used her own kinesis and tossed her into a wall as punishment for failing to stop the Smashers and letting one of the culprits get away. Without a single trace of mercy, she returned to the roof with Bob, watching and waiting for their next challenger. She also looked at her hour glass. Green sand was descending from the upper half, and there wasn't much left. Time WAS running out, but for what?  
  
The super virus nodded to her messiah, and he obliged, forming a portal to the last Tear.  
  
  
"Daemon. She cheated! Well, we might as well cheat back." Akari was watching Mainframe from the large display screen at the Super Computer's War Room. Game & Watch observed the menace beside her. "And there's one more Tear left. ...The Smash System!" the former Trainer exclaimed. "I hope Samus and the others can prevent Daemon and Bob from infecting it."  
  
She shook off her angsts and pounded around the motherboard. It was a complicated mechanism, but Game & Watch knew a thing or two about programming things since his earlier days in 1980. "Ok, export files from Smash and import to Mainframe. Good thing the Firewall's down." Akari said in relief while she was ravaging.  
  
She immediately stopped when she saw her close friend make a desperate move. "Samus!"  
  
The bounty hunter was jumping from ledge to ledge until she arrived where her brainwashed buddy was. She halted him by wrapping her Grapple Beam, pulling him to her, as if he was a hostage.  
  
"What're you doing to my Messenger?!" Daemon protested.  
  
"Messenger?! Who said he was YOUR Messenger? He happens to be a Guardian, and I've heard all about you exploiting the whole lot thanks to Akari and her Pokémon, lest we forget Turbo. I told you that you can only infect our System if you win the tournament."  
  
"My time is of the essence. I must fulfill my function before it reaches its end."  
  
Samus hesitated for a few nanoseconds, then declared, "Fine. But only if I lose the battle with my best friend." She had been dreading this moment since she first found out about the super virus' plot. Still, she had no choice. The portal to the Smash System was vulnerable to Daemon's touch, but she had an obligation to uphold.  
  
After observing the confrontation from above, Akari decided, "I knew Samus would try to stand up against him and Daemon! But not from here. I have an idea." With assistance from Game & Watch she sent a Zoom Room to the pair that transported them to the depths of Brinstar at the underbelly of the Smash System.  
  
Mewtwo held his own, preventing the super virus to make a move onto the last clean System. He forced her back with his Psychic Blast. "Stop! We won't let you have your way until the victor is decided! Try your best to resist us, and we will delete you now!"  
  
Just as soon as she was about to make a counter strike, she was hit by some incoming lasers. Falco's Arwing flew into the fray, though it was missing the three swordsmen. The Pokémon wondered where they were, and the bird answered they're fighting the Guardians at the Desert Port System; the Falcon Flyer should be close by. Both of the fighters stood by as they awaited for Daemon to try anything sneaky unto their turf.  
  
  
Akari made the correct calculations as Samus and Bob emerged into the underground. Intense heat welcomed them, despite the dim lighting. They were smack dab in the center of the sharp, rocky stage over a pit of magma, and a few little floating platforms were a couple feet above them. There were also some steep cliffs, however, there was a platform on each side if one of the brawlers should fall off. Samus remembered this was where one of her nemeses, Kraid, resided there, and she was certain he'd wake up from his slumber during the fatal duel.  
  
"Bob, I don't want to fight you. But you leave me no choice." she declared, her voice echoing.  
  
He just responded in a coy manner. "Why are we fighting, Samus? Haven't you heard The Word? It gives me peace, and so have the other Guardians, even Turbo. You should join us too, Samus."  
  
Her face became stern. "Yeah right! I'd rather be deleted than serve the likes of that cron virus!" Her arm cannon was shaking, "You want to be at peace?! Let's hope you'll rest in pieces!"  
  
She lunged in for the kill and hit him with her arm. They exchanged a few blows and one knocked her back. She skidded on the ground, but she was ready for more. She took the opportunity to charge her Plasma Beam, but Bob was hot on her trail. He fired an energy shot, making the vigilante stop in mid-charge and avoid it by leaping onto one of the floating ledges. Suddenly, a massive green beast roared. Kraid swiped the stage, instead of the clashing duo, making the stage rotate. She used everything she had on her lethal enemy, from her Screw Attack, to her Missiles and Bombs.  
  
From a Poke Ball, Pikachu was released by the bounty hunter. Mewtwo's clone wasted no time unleashing his electrical fury on the betraying Guardian. From his short-range shocks, to his Thunder. He kept spamming his attacks at one of the platforms whenever Bob got close. His agility was a must for his survival, as he avoided Bob's energy beams with ease, weakening the assailant. To keep the battle from being one-sided, he dismissed back inside the Ball, and it faded into thin air; this was Bob's and Samus' showdown, after all.  
  
The stage was rotated yet again by another swipe from Kraid, turning it back to the way it was. At one point, Samus was hit by Bob, causing her to use her Screw Attack to get back up to the top. For Bob, he simply teleported. From another missed energy shot, his body faded for a nanosecond, leaving him open for another attack. Instead, Samus used her Grappling Hook and tossed him. This gave her time and distance to finish building her own energy. She nearly matched her opponent's strength from the constant onslaughts; Bob's Glitch abilities were powerful, though it was an advantage as he was fading away almost to nothing thanks to the defective merger.  
  
She easily avoided every projectile as she loomed closer and closer. Samus finally got to her former partner and held him by the neck. "Bob, I've been waiting these past several cycles...for THIS!" She blew him away to the other side of the stage, but she was only aiming for one spot, his icon. On contact, it illuminated and coursed throughout his body like an electric current, literally. His body jolted from the sparks that were almost like Pikachu's, and all of the sudden, his neon markings vanished. He just laid there in a heap, lifeless as a Metroid without energy to consume.  
  
"I beat him! I beat him, Daemon!" she shouted in triumph. Though, it was short-lived as she realized she and Bob were stranded within the Smash System, vulnerable to the super virus' touch.  
  
As if she read her mind, Akari had no shame as she warped both soldiers back to Mainframe. The bounty hunter made a quick escape inside her gunship to help her recover from the duel she thought she'd be deleted from. Her next objective was to assist Mewtwo to hold back the demonic duchess and save the Net.  
  
  
Hack landed Enzo and Frisket at the Kits Sector where the other two Sprites were. "Matrix! AndrAIa!"  
  
"Enzo. It's good to see you." the renegade replied.  
  
"We were wondering where you were." AndrAIa added.  
  
"That is close enough!" Hack countered, Frisket growled at his owner but the grown Sprite had other plans.  
  
"Enzo, you must come with us, and meet Our Lady." He began to drag the boy away while his lover casually stood by.  
  
"AndrAIa, help! Please!"  
  
"Enzo, don't worry. She's a--"  
  
"A virus! She's a virus and she's killing Bob!"  
  
They never listened as they kept on smiling; the tension was building from here. "Stop smiling! Stop trying to be nice to me and help! We have to fight her!" he begged.  
  
"Enzo, I've been fighting all my life. The Word's given me peace." He couldn't believe what he just said. Those were exactly Turbo's words when he succumbed to the infection!  
  
"Frisket!" he commanded his dog, and he leapt and bit on the shooter's arm. AndrAIa elongated her scepter. "Hack, pin her!" He did, and the traitor struggled, though his hold was stronger.  
  
"Matrix! You've been infected. You have to fight the virus!"  
  
"Argh! Get him off or--"  
  
"Or what? You'll hurt Frisket?"  
  
"Ergh, yes. I'll hurt him!"  
  
That was enough for two smaller Sprites to hear. While Samus was busy healing, Nana and Popo peeked their heads out and saw the drama up ahead. They jumped out of the cockpit, looked and nodded to each other, and headed in that direction. They couldn't stand that muscular monster abuse the poor pooch and the kid, so they ran and smacked him with their mallets. Frisket dropped his maw over his arm and, not knowing the Ice Climbers, he let them have it.  
  
Then, Kirby descended from a star next to the Game Sprite and challenged her to a fight, drawing a big hammer of his own. AndrAIa busted out of the bot's grip and confronted the Pop Star puffball. A Zoom Room from the Super Computer actually teleported them there.  
  
The Clock Room was empty and the curious creature was astounded at where he was. Then he fixed on his opponent as she drew out her scepter again. They made some clanging noises with their weapons, trying to back one of them off. They both jumped away and she took out her long turquoise nails and fired!  
  
"Kirby!" Akari screeched from the entrance.  
  
He never hesitated as he opened his inhaling mouth wide and swallowed the nails! Normally, this would've been deadly as they were sharper than knives, but Kirby managed to swallow them and transform! He donned on a helmet that had the same texture and length as AndrAIa's own hair, albeit shorter for his small stature. The Game Sprite was shocked at the results. And Kirby shot back her own move, though she easily dodged the barrage.  
  
They ran toward each other, then Kirby changed into a fiery ball, forcing her down.  
  
Akari warned as she and Game & Watch ran to the fray. "Kirby! AndrAIa's been infected. You can't stay this way for long!"  
  
Sure enough, it was as if the transformation was sapping his energy. The file was corrupt and it was affecting him. He nodded in confirmation and resumed the fight. He soared into the air and changed into a Thwomp. But she rolled out of the way before he crushed her. When Kirby changed back, he was vulnerable, and she hit him directly with the pitchfork. This lost Kirby's ability as he was bare when the star exited from him and faded. He kept smacking her in a three-way using his knife, then grabbed her and leapt into the air. They crashed to the floor, resulting a small blast, weakening the Sprite.  
  
But, she was growing desperate as she landed more stronger blows to the lightweight. Her arm blades and scepter were nearly too much! Then, a gigantic, shiny star appeared. Kirby grabbed it just in the nick of time and the celestial body took him away.  
  
"Heh, nothing but a coward." she gloated, tossed away her messy hair, and smiled widely, knowing that she won.  
  
"Look again." Akari pointed up.  
  
She saw nothing, until...WHAM!  
  
There was a huge explosion upon the center of the Clock Room, causing it to quake and make the pendulum fall from the ceiling. The impact was so great, that it even left a crater that was a foot deep, and the floor itself was broken. AndrAIa just laid lifelessly on the ground, and Kirby emerged victorious. Seeing that his lethal opponent was defeated, he did his signature jig. That put both Akari and Game & Watch at ease and glee.  
  
"Nice job, Kirby!" Akari congratulated. The threesome high-fived each other for their incredible work!  
  
 **A/N: Damn, how I wish there could be a Death Battle for these from Screwattack, even though I despise most of them as they were pretty biased.  
  
When Yoshi starts the battle against Mouse, the Yoshi Island theme from Melee plays. When Kirby fights AndrAIa, the Fountain of Dreams is heard here. When Zelda wars against the virus, Hexadecimal, the Temple theme plays here. And, of course, there's the Brinstar Depths when Samus faces off against Bob.  
  
Let me tell you something right now; I despise Princess "Peach" Toadstool! She's a complete embarrassment to all women, always being the victim of the Koopa King and never defending herself, except in Smash albeit asinine. Other than the Mario RPGs, she's the most useless character! And I didn't have a choice while I was trying to unlock certain characters in Melee: With Young Link, I had to use 10 characters, with Marth I used 14 characters, and with Game & Watch I used all 24 of 'em. It was painful playing as that putrid princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. I haven't played Super Princess Peach, but she's been a total waste of my gaming days since I was young, and it was thanks to her that I had that mindset that princesses were always used as plot tools to tarnish the woman gender. Because of that, I NEVER WANT HER TO EXIST ANYMORE!!!  
  
With the bitter resentment aside, I also hated Zelda too for the same reason. But since I started playing Ocarina of Time, I began to like her more. Especially when she came up with the ingenious concept of Sheik. I thought the disguise worked exceptionally well, and her actions while she was helping out Adult Link during his adventures; I always liked that timeline more than the one seven years prior. But...that all changed a few years after that. I wasn't a Zelda fan anymore, as puzzle-solving wasn't my strong suit, and I just lost interest. Despite that unhealthy crush I had; in retrospect it was just very dumb of me when I was younger.  
  
Mr. Game & Watch made his video game debut in 1980, just before Mario. Sadly, of course, the handheld, and its games, were Japanese exclusives, though this was when Nintendo reached stardom before the release of the NES a year later. We never knew about him until his introduction in Melee as well as his Game & Watch Gallery series for the Game Boy, which was its successor to the LCD he belonged to.  
  
Another chapter completed, soon will be the conclusion of the crossover and the Daemon saga.**


	10. The Word is Karma!

**It all ends here!!  
  
** "Hey! What in the Net are you two doing here?!" Matrix shouted at the intrusive duo. Both Nana and Popo raised their hammers in response despite their shaking hands. Through some research, they knew that he was one of the big bads that Akari was mentioning; and it wasn't hard to see why. His intimidating demeanor and his giant size made them quiver; this wasn't a bitter blizzard they were feeling this time, this was definitely fear.  
  
Still, they held their ground as he roared toward them. The last thing they wanted was for the abusive Sprite harm the kid, and force him into Daemon's infectious clutches. While Enzo himself, alongside with Frisket and Hack, watched in stunned silence.  
  
The Ice Climbers were incredibly puny compared to the tank they were fighting. Their Blizzard only stopped him in his tracks for a few nanoseconds, and the Ice Shots were hardly effective compared to his huge bulk and muscles as he bashed them like toys. His strength from his punches and kicks left the little duo sore and frightened. Their Belay move was barely enough to help them escape, and other than their direct hits from their unbreakable mallets, their Squall Hammers were little they could do. Even the Freezies Akari downloaded had provided temporary relief from Matrix's brutal force.  
  
To him, it was almost an easy battle, and the Ice Climbers got the blustery wind knocked out of them, one at a time.  
  
Before he was able to land a hand on his younger self, Falco sparred in without his Arwing. The Fire Bird was quite a distraction as he felt the embers lick his bare skin.  
  
"YOU!" He immediately grabbed Gun from his holster. But the bird's agility was his own strong point.  
  
"Ha! I've grown with weaponry like this since I was just a hatchling! You think you're so tough? Think again!" The attitude-driven ace pilot challenged.  
  
Matrix wasn't taken aback, but rather enthralled that he found the right kind of rival; he was badmouthed, into firearms, and had a strong back to boot. "Heh, I like your style, you pre-programmed pigeon. Give me your all!"  
  
"Enzo, Frisket, Slash, get outta here!"  
  
"That's Hack." the red robot corrected.  
  
"Whatever. Just get the hell outta here! Hurry!" he squawked.  
  
Matrix fired Gun again, and Falco just leapt out of the way with a side flip. From then on, it was nothing more than a free-for-all exchanging both physical and phaser wounds. Falco's Blaster had a long range than Fox's and it hit its target harder, forcing him to stagger for a moment. His Falco Phantasm wasn't quite as swift as his friend's, which was a slight disadvantage. But his moves that made him shine were his flaming counter and his Reflector Shield which could go further away from his body; it also deflected some of Matrix's firings.  
  
He was also a lightweight like the Ice Climbers; he may have been more nimble, but he was actually weaker than his enemy. Akari managed to download a Maxim Tomato in order for Falco to restore half of his health, but unfortunately Matrix consumed the healing item instead.  
  
With every pulverizing blow, Falco became more exhausted and hurt. He was breathing heavily, and yet Matrix looked as if he was having the time of his life.  
  
"Gun, target. Full delete!" He raised his pistol and his cybernetic left-eye shifted, then the target implant glowed. A symbol appeared just on Falco's forehead; he never even noticed through his hefty panting. He shot it directly toward him! But in a last-ditch effort, Falco pressed the button on his forearm and he covered himself with his Reflector, resulting it to ricochet and bounce back toward Matrix's body! The projectile actually made contact with his icon, resulting it to change from Game Sprite Mode to a Guardian icon. His body wasn't just hit by the bullet, but also electrocuted as it got rid of the nasty infections. He hollered for a few nanoseconds before he was blasted back. Then, his body became limp.  
  
Enzo couldn't bare what he just saw. Falco just did a little spin in his pride defeating such an intimidating adversary. Matrix just laid there unconsciously from the fight, and it was probable that the blowback could result in deletion.  
  
Samus stormed in, "Falco!"  
  
"Don't sweat it, Lady. I'll live."  
  
"Yeah right, not in this condition." She noticed the scrapes and cuts all over his body and uniform. "And neither would Matrix and the Ice Climbers." She asked Hack to help her lift up the renegade's lifeless body back to her ship. Enzo and Frisket reluctantly followed close behind.  
  
"Don't worry." the bounty hunter assured. "If we can get there fast enough, I'm certain Matrix will be back to his feisty self, and live to fight another day." Even though the hopes of having him gone kept nagging her; Akari coincidentally felt the same.  
  
"So, what happened?" she asked Falco. "Where are the three swordsmen?" Her partner recapped the events that led him here:  
  
  
During the separation, the remaining Guardian airships were hot on the falcon's pursuit. His Arwing was fast and maneuverable, but it only could sustain so much. As he was running low on power, he deployed the warriors within the nearby Desert Port System. They jumped out from the cockpit since there was no time for a rope. Falco took some enemy fire and immediately zoomed away to Mainframe, leaving the trio behind and trapped . Soon enough, the battleships approached. Everyone drew out their weapons: Link with his Master Sword and Hylian Shield, Marth with his Falchion, and Roy with the firebrand, the Sword of Seals.  
  
Each of the infected cronies ran toward them, hoping to apprehend or delete the resisters.  
  
Marth suggested that everyone should take a smash board while the Guardians would ambush them from below. Although Link was irritated that his rival was leading the opposition.  
  
"Guys, quit it! They're coming!" Roy intervened.  
  
Nevertheless, the duo obliged with the blue-haired hero, and Roy took the right smash board, while Link took the one in the center, and Marth stayed to the left.  
  
"Everyone, please watch me!" he taunted in the foreign language of his homeland.  
  
"We will be, Marth; I'm sure people are watching you right now since this world was locked open to the Net. Don't you worry." his best friend assured. Link, as boastful as ever, highly doubted as he rubbed the back of his neck. This made Marth tighten the grip of his blade and wrinkle his face in disgust; he couldn't wait to have a rematch against the pompous protector of Hyrule.  
  
Marth used his Shield Breaker while Roy used his Flare Blade as a means to drive away the Guardians while they approached their spaces; although unlike Marth, Roy couldn't hold the power of the Sword of Seals for long, since the fiery might caused it to explode and damage the wielder. Link held his own with his Spin Attack. By the time more showed up, the two bros in arms bashed their way through with their Dancing Blade and Double-Edge Dance respectively. The Hylian drew out some bombs and threw them toward the crowd; his arrows did like little to nothing onto the mob. From below, or whether they needed to make an aerial recovery, both Marth and Roy each used their Dolphin Slash and Blazer. And even though the laser bullets deleted the Binomes back at Mainframe's Control Tower, they were a nuisance for the highly-advanced Sprites; no matter, since Marth and Roy countered with their sacred swords, deflecting the projectiles and forcing some knockbacks toward the foes. Link, however, only had to rely on his defenses as his elaborate shield just absorbed them. It seemed that even though Link had a few decades of experience in his belt, he wasn't quite as strategic as the two guys were.  
  
Later, Akari gave the team a Party Ball which contained various foods that restored a small portion of health, and also a Poké Ball. There, Roy released Scizor; it was an evolved form of Mewtwo's Scyther and it was able to take down a couple Guardians with its massive claws.  
  
Thinking that it worked exceptionally well, Akari eventually downloaded a couple more of her Pokémon, including her Legendary Birds. Articuno froze a swarm of Guardians for a short while, leaving them vulnerable to the swordsmen; Zapdos unleashed its electricity from the tips of its wings and they stunned the Guardians on contact, making them easier to knock away; and Moltres shot out some embers, sending them to oblivion, even when they were caught by its updraft as it flew away.  
  
The battle easily turned into the trio's favor. It was nearly a cinch for them, and it was nigh on comical that those infected individuals would call themselves Guardians without their precious Key Tools. The redhead felt that they should become their replacements in their lousy stead.  
  
"For those whom I must protect...I won't lose!" Roy declared in his native tongue, sheathing his blade.  
  
After the fight, Akari recorded that there were only 39 Guardians, according to the schematics from the Super Computer. "Wow. Hard to believe there was only thirty-nine Guardians since nearly half of the fleet has been shot down; and here, I thought the trio wouldn't stand a chance. I guess that's what I get for assuming."  
  
Game & Watch ringed a bell in response to that statement.  
  
The duo at the Super Computer suddenly saw some descending blinding lights. They belonged to the Falcon Flyer, and they were relieved that the pilot and Ness weren't infected.  
  
"Well, looks like we're getting our team together." she said gladly.  
  
From outside, she saw the captain motion that it was time to be picked up. "Wait, there's something I still have to do." She hurriedly assigned certain items to aid Samus and Mewtwo for the final battle as she mashed buttons around the motherboard.  
  
"I hope these will help. Let's kick it." The two stormed out just as the display screen their last destination.  
  
  
Meanwhile, the Genetic Pokémon was using all his strength, preventing Daemon from reaching the stabilized portal or making contact with a solid surface to spread her infection. He knew in his power he couldn't hold her off for long.  
  
"Daemon!"  
  
Samus approached the duo. She declared with as much steam as emitted from Norfair, "We've beaten you at your own game! We've won the tournament, but there is still one final obstacle we must prevail in order to achieve true victory."  
  
"You dare to challenge me, and The Word?" she replied.  
  
"Yes. But not here." the bounty hunter looked over at her partner, who nodded. "We've decided to showcase the final battle at our choosing, in Final Destination." She spoke into her comm, "Akari, prepare to transfer the three of us to Final Destination; we have a score to finish."  
  
She already loaded a Zoom Room and entered the coordinates before she left. The three were transferred there in a manner of nanos.  
  
Samus and Mewtwo arrived on an open stage, floating freely at the deep vacuums of space. Somehow Daemon was nowhere to be found, making the two heroes nervous. _How can she escape from a Zoom Room as soon as it catches her?_ she thought.  
  
They heard a familiar booming voice which interrupted Samus' reverie. It was the Smash System's Guardian, Master Hand, and even though he never shown a face, from the tone he was sorely disappointed Daemon entered here.  
  
"The tourney is in our favor; all we need to do now is defeat Daemon, and victory is absolute." Mewtwo said.  
  
He sighed, "I was dreading it would come to this..." Master Hand's thumb touched his other digit and he then clutched an object in his closed palm. He soared closer to the Smashers, who're thinking he might punch them for disobedience. But instead, the hand unraveled and revealed his held object. "You two must use this." He was holding a flat, symmetrical disc embedded with the System's logo, which was like the size of a gnat compared to his enormous palm. "Your best chance to win is to use this Trophy Stand, it's a reversal, instead of allowing a certain character to become active from a trophy. If the super virus is inactive, where would her infection go?"  
  
They hesitated, "Nowhere?"  
  
"Yes. The Word would be worthless; she'll simply be encased in a prison for ages. Her power will be moot, and in her captured form would result in her deletion."  
  
"I understand what you're saying." Samus had this idea seeing Bob and Hex containing the Guardians during the armada, and Mewtwo agreed.  
  
"It's almost like catching a Pokémon. If Daemon is weak enough, she'll be easier to capture, and then we can destroy her!"  
  
Master Hand offered the stand, "This is our last chance to stop the virus."  
  
"Master Hand!!"  
  
Mewtwo's telepathy was too slow. It was too late as Daemon emerged from behind. The last clean Guardian was ambushed and infected.  
  
His associates looked in horror at his agony. With quick thinking, Samus sacrificed the Trophy Stand and threw it toward Master Hand. She couldn't possibly let him fulfill her function since Bob, her Messenger, was incapacitated.  
  
"Samus! What've you done?"  
  
"I had to do it, Mewtwo. We can't let Master Hand serve The Word and let Daemon fulfill her code. Time may be against us but we have no choice..." Her face through the helmet was full of anger and revenge. "WE have to take care of her ourselves!"  
  
The final showdown hast begun.  
  
Mewtwo was the first to volunteer while Samus charged her plasma cannon. It was an aerial combat as the Pokémon was caught by the super virus. They exchanged blows and the bounty hunter from below offered a few missiles. His volley of Shadow Balls were little to nothing for her as she blocked them in a feral position. She drew out long, sharp fingernails similar to the ones AndrAIa had. By the time she dove in for the kill, Mewtwo dodged and unleashed a stunner. This immobilized her for a few nanoseconds, until they plummeted back to the platform. Samus jumped over the shockwave and saw a Poké Ball. She released it and out popped Bellossom.  
  
The two clashing heroes had a hunch that there were going to be some items available. Akari was the one who gave them to her heroes from the Super Computer; although they had to hurry since the hourglass was almost empty. While the flower Pokémon danced and swayed for a short while releasing her Sleep Powder, the Genetic Pokémon told Samus to aim for the necklace as a target.  
  
After a few nanoseconds, the super virus came to with a sneer and grabbed her assailant tightly. She never gave Bellossom the infection, but she just threw her away using all her strength. Samus shot out the charged Plasma Beam, but it didn't make its mark. She drastically reloaded it, although she had to doge while in a Morph Ball to avoid her onslaughts while Mewtwo worked the offensive. He conjured a ginormous Shadow Ball to hold off the succubus, and she struggled with all her strength, trying to get to her enemies.  
  
Eventually, the Shadow Ball exploded, making both sides weave. But the battle was far from over.  
  
Suddenly there was another Pokémon that literally soared into the fray carrying Bellossom in its red talons. Moltres' body glowed, then it dove toward Daemon. The fiery bird performed a Sky Attack, as did two others. Zapdos and Articuno hit her directly, yet the hourglass was still intact, just swerving from the gales. Daemon cupped her hands and shot out a few balls of neon green energy chasing the Legendary trio.  
  
"Oh no! She's trying to infect them!" Mewtwo snapped.  
  
He grabbed a Poké Ball and Blastoise appeared; this was one of his loyal creatures he trained. The markings all over his humongous cerulean body and shell was proof of that. He unleashed his furious jets of water toward the infectious orbs with his Hydro Pumps, though one mistakenly hit Moltres. It took a few shots, but they eventually dissipated. The birds retreated, as did the Shellfish in a poof.  
  
Daemon lowered herself to try and spread her infection on the platform, but the Smashers jumped into the air. Mewtwo caught Samus and another Pokémon flew in; this time it was the Psychic's Charizard. It was another assault from above and they were both evenly matched with their speed. Mewtwo couldn't believe the super virus was as swift as his own Lizard! Yet, it's strength was waning. It used every tooth, nail, along with every ounce of its own body, but it still kept missing the hourglass. Samus got involved with a Screw Attack, and it made the necklace crack. Daemon looked down and slowly descended. Her face was full of grim.  
  
"That's it!" he hollered.  
  
At the roar of triumph, Daemon's face turned to resentment and she grabbed and held Mewtwo by the throat, squeezing it as hard as she could.  
  
Meanwhile, Falcon scanned to find another Trophy Stand. Game & Watch actually managed to copy and paste one from Master Hand. They were all watching the entire war thanks to his jet black gizmo.  
  
"There they are!" Akari crowed as she pointed. The hatch opened, and by the time they reached the massive platform, she sent it over Samus.  
  
Mewtwo's energy was weakening with every passing nano. Not even Samus' Bombs had any affect. Just as Daemon did to Bellossom, she threw the Pokémon asunder. The Falcon Flyer aimed its cannons and released a volley of bullets, which was also proven ineffective. They just bounced off like rubber as she soared toward it, just about to give it the infectious tap of her finger.  
  
Then, Samus broke then shattered the hourglass due to the sudden ferocity with a fully charged Plasma Beam. Daemon was completely overwhelmed and powerless. Her energy just depleted instantly as she hunched over, clutching nothing but air as the smithereens disappeared. And seeing her chance, Samus threw in the stand, paralyzing Daemon and churning her into a trophy! Her stance was almost that of a dancer, having her arms spread out, her head tilted up.  
  
With a gentle cry as she approached, Mew retrieved her clone and brought him back safely.  
  
"The Word is karma." Samus obliterated the pint-sized Daemon Trophy. Everyone cheered for victory, but it was short-lived as the spectators saw something. "Oh no, it's forming." she said in awe. The infection was spreading wide, and Samus, Falcon, Akari, and the Mew Duo escaped as they got inside the Flyer. It launched into the Net, with the rapid spreading close behind. They were home free to Mainframe until the ship made contact. The Smashers inside weren't succumbed, but the ship was losing control. It drastically took a nosedive.  
  
"Ergh, what's happening?!" Ness cried in horror.  
  
"Helm controls are offline! It must be from Daemon's infection!" Samus summarized. The mother board looked shot as the nasty, green lines covered it.  
  
"We're out of control! We're going down! We're gonna crash!!" Akari screeched as the cockpit shook. She covered her face, expecting for her and friends to perish.  
  
"I've re-routed auxiliary power to the thrusters to attempt to level our descent!" Falcon mentioned over the alarm, the inside still shaking violently. The remote on his arm was quite handy.  
  
"Everyone, brace for impact!" Mewtwo cautioned.  
  
Meanwhile, all the remaining infected cronies counted down from, "111110. 111101. 111100." They supposed if Daemon is deleted, they should follow since The Word is still with them, as futile as it is without her.  
  
"I've seen this before." AndrAIa said.  
  
Bob weakly declared, "Dot...she's now a cron virus. End to all things. Total...crash."  
  
Hex grabbed him and stood him up. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!" she screamed toward Dot. Then, she danced with him, joyfully in her arms for a short while, completely oblivious to the situation. Bob wondered what in her delusional state was she doing.  
  
"Get off him!" the Matrix sister approached Hex from behind, but she blasted her away into her older brother's hold.  
  
"I knew this was a bad idea." he mentioned. Apparently, after Hex was cured after Matrix came to, she wanted to have her revenge on the super virus; though she never got to her since she, Samus, and Mewtwo declared the life-altering match. And then, they realized all the work they've done was for naught.  
  
Bob realized Hex was ill again, and completely insane from the looks of it. Hex hollered she never felt more alive when she absorbed the energy from the Core surging through her. "Nothing can hurt me or you, chum."  
  
"You're wrong. Daemon's virus. When the countdown reaches 0, we'll all be deleted; everyone, everything."  
  
"But will our love survive?"  
  
"No, it won't, Hex. I'm sorry."  
  
"Well, that's just not good enough." The maniacal virus fixed onto Phong and Welman. "You! Stop this thing!"  
  
"There is nothing we can do. We have a cure, but it is impossible to administer it in time."  
  
"Well...the only thing that can transfer the Net fast enough would be a benign virus." the Null professor stated.  
  
"A virus to cure. Brilliant!" The sage's face fell, "Oh dear..."  
  
"What? What's the problem? We've got a virus, me." she laid a hand on her chest, indicating herself. "Give me the cure and I'll fix everything."  
  
"Hex, you won't survive this. Once you enter, total fragmentation." By the time Hex came to before the Zoom Room, Welman fixed the code for the Gateway after Game & Watch altered it simply by jumping on his hand as he was about to activate the portal. The error resulted in the warp gate's default function, putting Akari and the 2-Dimensional Sprite in the Super Computer instead.  
  
"But you will survive." Hex lowered Bob gently to the ground. Then, she sneered at Matrix, dove toward him, and tossed him down. For once, his scared expression made the Smashers grin. Hex took away his icon and added some kind of code to it. "Virus hater! Learn from this." She dropped it like a safety pin.  
  
Enzo, the more innocent one, ran up to her. "Hex, stop. I don't want you to go."  
  
She smiled, "I adore children."  
  
"You can never eat a whole one." he giggled.  
  
Her mask was covered with red eyes and fangs until she swiped it with her hand. Then, she just grinned with green eyes. "Still joking. Here young Guardian, a gift." She touched and altered Enzo's icon. It was now red and black. "So you don't turn out like him," she faced the renegade. Then, it was off to the Gateway.  
  
With her viral kinesis, she was taking control over Welman; they should've known since she always had a way with Nulls.  
  
"Bob, I'll always love you." she replied with the saddest face anyone has ever seen. "Dot, take care of him and be happy." She turned away for a nanosecond and her mask changed emotions one last time to anger. "NOOOWW!!" He pressed down on the button, and the portal opened.  
  
"Hex..!" Bob stuck out a hand after her body dissipated entirely. The Nulls just scattered, returning to where they once were, even Nibbles who was once Welman himself.  
  
As Hex's masks scattered throughout the entire Net, cackling all the way, the infected zealots kept on counting down, "1000. 111. 110. 101. 100. 11. 10. 01--"  
  
Everyone accepted the worst, as their fate was about to be erased from existence forever. But...  
  
All of Hex's scattered masks automatically cured those infected on contact, including the Falcon Flyer which was dropping toward the Gateway. The ship containing the three swordsmen, Mr. Game & Watch, Mew, and the others crash landed at Mainframe. It was a few feet away from Samus' own gunship and the portal was destroyed. Everyone was alive and conscious as they observed the spectacle.  
  
"I'm saved!" One Binome said in the distance. His infection was completely gone, and the sky returned to its normal, blue hue.  
  
"Jolly good!" his spouse replied, just as grateful as him.  
  
The result cured every System just before everyone chanted zero. The Null creature was no more, and the leeches slithered away.  
  
The chute opened revealing Samus, the Mew duo, and the remaining heroes reuniting with their team.  
  
Dot held Bob's translucent body close. She constantly begged him to stay by her side; Matrix and AndrAIa were expecting him not to pull through. "Bob, I love you. Please...marry me."  
  
"Unh...I thought you'd never ask." Bob said.  
  
Though, Mike the TV had to interrupt the tender moment. Akari irritatingly marched in. "Excuse me, Mike. I believe I owe you this." She punched him in the screen, knocking him out cold and in static. "I should've done this cycles ago! I'm surprised you even survived the System Crash; you don't deserve to be here! Any of you!"  
  
Needless to say, everyone listening was in complete, utter shock at her reactions. She raged how everyone, excepting Enzo, Hack, Slash, Hexadecimal, and Frisket, were all viruses. She declared the quintet as "the real heroes," and she was outraged of all the betrayals she and her allies, especially Mewtwo and Samus, had to endure. She said they all deserved a harsh beat down, and deletion. During her meltdown, Matrix took out Gun; fortunately AndrAIa was able to hold him back, if only for a little while. Akari stated she can no longer trust the Guardians and the Mainframers anymore, and that their Key Tools had every right to abandon them! She hopes they'd never get them back, and she pointed out that they, especially Bob, Turbo, and Daecon, should be replaced, effective immediately. She ranted the Smashers are the rightful successors since they've all failed to save the Net.  
  
She went on until the Pokémon snapped her out of it. "Enough! They deserve it, no big loss. Didn't you say you wanted to present everyone the Smashers?"  
  
She did with several deep breaths and a slow nod. She saw the podium, marched toward it, and stuttered after checking the mic. Samus made sure Mainframe remained online and open.  
  
Akari cleared her throat. "Citizens of Mainframe, we've won the battle against the treachery of the super virus. Daemon has been deleted, and it's not necessarily thanks to our betrayers back here," she pointed them out. She regained her composure, "It's all thanks to Enzo and his little group. And special thanks to his father, Welman, and to the true heroine we lost, Hexadecimal. But most of all, it's possible by me and my comrades, the Smashers." she spread her hand to demonstrate them to everyone.  
  
"Samus? If you please?"  
  
The slide lowered and she loaded a mini, though powerful, projector. After the screen reached 1 from 100, it shifted to their specially-made intro. After that, Akari spoke the line as dialogue appeared on a screen with the logo of their System, "And now, the special presentation."  
  
The scene faded, then Kirby's inhale sounded, followed by many others with fight scenes erratically mixed in. After Pikachu's Thunderbolt, it showed the title and a few heartbeats before the movie started. Everyone was glued to it, even all the civilians, and the Sprites. Some of the latter were offended as they saw clips of them being mangled by Akari's allies during Daemon's regime, but she and the Smashers never cared.  
  
As the film progressed, she announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, Samus was one of the heroes that managed to defeat Daemon!" when it was time for her segment; same with Mewtwo as well. This made the traitors both jealous and rejected, as she was intending to do, while the audience cheered wildly for them! It seems that Mainframe and the Net have found the new saviors they were longing to have.  
  
They gave a big round of applause just as the presentation ended. During their blare, Akari dashed to Samus' gunship. She and her comrades took a deep bow before they exited into their corresponding transports. Capt. Falcon returned into the Flyer, Mewtwo lifted off in a cyan aura, Kirby caught a ride on a star he conjured, the Arwings were beside them after Fox and Link Jr. smiled at Enzo and Frsket. They returned the gesture. And everyone left before they saw Ray and the "original" Bob emerge from a Web portal.  
  
"Marry him? I don't think so." the familiar stranger said as he crossed his arms proudly.  
  
Thus, this started Dot's two Bobs, although Akari, Samus, Mewtwo, and all of the other Pokémon and the Smashers were never seen nor heard from ever again.  
  


**A/N: Much like Princess Peach, I absolutely hate Matrix! Falco and the Ice Climbers gave him a close deletion he rightfully deserved! As did the others; although I considered Enzo, Frisket, Hex, Welman, and even Hack and Slash as the real heroes, aside from the Smashers like Akari said.**

**Marth and Roy actually are more strategic than Link is; the former actually shown that in a way, he's stronger and swifter than his rival, as is Roy, and sure enough they became heroes as they saved their homelands from annihilation. So, Marth never has to dread being better than Link ever again 'cause he found himself some qualities that Link lacks. Link may be more balanced, however, he isn't quite as strong and fast as they are; even though Marth and Roy could sometimes be complicated to use.**

**The Trophy Plate wasn't introduced until Brawl, but I figured it'd be a good reversal since it's seen that the Smashers change from BEING a trophy. I hadn't really come up with a good method to defeat Daemon until I saw the final fight against Tabuu. I'd still consider Hex's sacrifice to be dramatic, as well.**

**Chase from Daemon Rising will play when the Ice Climbers face off Matrix until they lose, Venom 2 will sound as Falco deals with him, The second Multi-Man Melee theme would play as Link, Marth, and Roy face off the Guardians. The final battle between Mewtwo and Samus vs. Daemon will play "Dancing Mad" by Quasar and end with the Black Mages version of it, just to give The Word closure. Then, the ending would shift to a calm serenade with the main Reboot theme in the same key, and lastly go off on a sour note with the Coin Toss from FFVI as Akari expresses her hatred until Mewtwo stops her. Next, the special movie would start as follows:**

  * **First Mario, then DK, and then Yoshi followed by the signature short.  
**
  * **Second, it'll skip over the Trophy segment and go to the presentations of Link, Zelda/Sheik, and Capt. Falcon.**
  * **But instead of Bowser having a moment, since he was excluded, Mr. Game & Watch would take his place.**
  * **Then, it'll resume normally presenting Samus then Fox.**
  * **Since it'll feature the unlockable characters, Young Link would be next with Saria's Song playing in the background, and then Falco.**
  * **Then, it'll feature Mewtwo and then the Ice Climbers with the Poké Floats theme, along with the random Pokémon and items used in battle.**
  * **Next, it'll play Kirby then Ness, shift to Marth and Roy with the Fire Emblem theme, and finally present a quick recap featuring all the new warriors.**



**Akari's fate has always been open-ended, much like the series itself. She suffers through growing pains and betrayal, and lives on as a recluse. For the longest time, I never knew how Akari would end up. I just hope the revival, The Guardian's Code, would give me some positive ideas about her, as well as the possibility to resume her format as a Pokémon Trainer, travel and catch creatures from various regions, reunite with her older allies, and of course, boldly go where no Pokémon nor Trainer has ever gone before. Until I could see the continuation, Akari's fate remains unknown.**


End file.
